Latest Updates
Below you can find the latest status of Veolia's proposal to replace the current Alton recycling facility with a massive incinerator in rural Hampshire, a history of Veolia's planning application, and our campaign against the plans.
Looking for recent press and publicity? Visit our news pages.
Latest Update - 23rd February 2022
At a meeting of the Hampshire County Council Regulatory Committee today, elected HCC Councillors overwhelmingly voted to refuse Veolia's planning application, by 12 votes against to only three for. No Wey Incinerator would like to thank Councillors for holding HCC to the highest standards of decision-making in accordance with HCC's planning policies.
You can read a summary of the meeting, or see the press or TV coverage.
While Veolia has up to 6 months to appeal, we hope that the comprehensive defeat for their proposals and the undisputable reasons for refusal will persuade them to think again.
Please ensure you are on our mailing list or follow us on social media (Facebook, Twitter) to be kept informed of latest developments.
Important Documents
No Wey Incinerator's detailed objection from the August 2020 public consultation is here (PDF)
No Wey Incinerator's detailed objection from the February 2021 public consultation is here (PDF)
No Wey Incinerator's detailed objection from the July 2021 public consultation is here (PDF)
No Wey Incinerator's detailed objection from the November 2021 public consultation is here (PDF)
No Wey Incinerator's detailed response to the Environmental Permit consultation is here (PDF)
History of Veolia's Proposals & the No Wey Incinerator Campaign
(most recent updates first)
16th February 2022
Hampshire County Council have released their Officer's Report recommending approval of Veolia's incinerator proposal. We disagree with its findings and are reviewing it in detail. The report can be downloaded from the HCC website and consists of over 300 pages.
The planning application will be decided by the HCC Regulatory Committee meeting in Winchester on Wednesday 23rd February at 10am and we have lined up a very strong team of well-informed speakers who will cover all the issues.
If you would like to join us at HCC in Winchester on 23rd February you would be very welcome - so we can show the Regulatory Committee that there is still strong opposition to this totally unacceptable proposal from Hampshire, Surrey, and beyond.
28th November 2021
The fourth public consultation on Veolia's proposals has closed. Hundreds more objections were received from the public, and No Wey Incinerator submitted our own detailed expert objection to the plans. [PDF]
The application is not expected to be decided until early 2022.
17th November 2021
No Wey Incinerator have today published documents [PDF] revealed by a Freedom of Information request to Hampshire County Council, which shows that HCC's own landscape department objected to Veolia's plans, but that, unlike all other responses from the landscape department, this objection was not published on the HCC Planning website.
This worrying evidence suggests that HCC's planning department could be biased towards Veolia, and could also be trying to downplay the objections it has received from other departments. FOI requests have also revealed that in August 2020, the planning department has also urged another department to downgrade an objection.
No Wey Incinerator are now calling on HCC to be fully transparent in their dealings with this controversial planning application.
Watch the BBC News report on this important development here.
15th October 2021
HCC have launched a fourth public consultation on Veolia's proposals, seeking comment on material provided around air quality, landscape, need, heat and other topics. NWI's expert consultants are reviewing the details.
25th September 2021
The No Wey Incinerator Action Group has asked the Secretary of State to take over the controversial application to build a commercial waste incinerator in the rural Wey Valley near Alton, because of the serious long-term impact its potential approval would have on nationally important issues such as climate change.
Acting on the advice of our expert consultants and lawyers - and with the support of local MP Damian Hinds and County Councillors Mark Kemp-Gee and Andrew Joy - we have asked the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to use his powers to "call-in" the application because it involves issues of more than local importance.
The application conflicts with a large number of national policies - including those on the waste hierarchy, climate change, air quality, ecology and nature conservation. We believe it is the Secretary of State who is best placed to consider the long term negative impact of the application in the context of these important issues, and emerging environmental policies.
We have formally called on Hampshire County Council to delay their determination of Veolia's planning application until the Secretary of State has had an opportunity to consider and respond to our request to take over the application. Given the serious consequences approval would have for both local residents and our environment for generations, this application should not be rushed through.
14th July 2021
Hampshire County Council are reviewing the responses received in the public consultation they held that ended on 5th July, including a detailed response from No Wey Incinerator and our expert consultants (PDF)
We are now awaiting information from HCC as to when the planning application will be decided - we understand this will not be before September 2021 - and No Wey Incinerator are working behind the scenes on our approach to this.
23rd June 2021
There are now two parallel processes ongoing:
1. the planning process with Hampshire County Council: HCC asked Veolia for some clarifying technical information on 1st June in a fourth "Regulation 25" notice, and there is another public consultation period now open until 5th July. No Wey Incinerator are working with our consultants on a technical response to this.
After this, the earliest the planning application is likely to be decided by HCC is late July 2021, and No Wey Incinerator are working behind the scenes on our approach to this. If you still haven't objected at all, HCC will still accept feedback on the planning application until it is decided, find out more here.
2. an application to the Environment Agency for an Environmental Permit for the incinerator: The Environment Agency consulted on Veolia's application for an Environmental Permit for the proposed incinerator, this consultation was open until 24th June 2021. This was also a technical consultation related to aspects of the incinerator under the control of the Environment Agency, and No Wey Incinerator and our expert advisors submitted technical feedback as to why the permit application was inadequate, incorrect and overlooked important ecological and environmental points. (PDF here)
26th March 2021
Hampshire County Council's further public consultation on Veolia's proposals closed on 15th February. No Wey Incinerator and our expert consultants submitted further detailed comments objecting to the proposals, these can be found here (PDF).
HCC have finished reviewing and posting all the representations received during the consultation period. There are now a total of over 5,000 objections to this unacceptable development. Thank you to all those who have made their voice heard, again. If you still haven't objected, HCC will still accept further feedback on the planning application until it is decided, find out more here.
The earliest the application can be decided by HCC is now in June, given the upcoming local council elections. No Wey Incinerator continue to work behind the scenes at this time in preparation for a possible decision meeting by HCC's Regulatory Committee.
15th February 2021
HCC's further consultation period on Veolia's application closed, with a further approximately 1,900 objections submitted by local businesses, residents and farmers. This brings the total number of objections to over 5,000.
No Wey Incinerator's retained consultants submitted a further detailed objection to Veolia's plans, which can be read here.
15th January 2021
We notified HCC that a number of important documents relating to the visual impact of the development had not been published on the HCC web site. This has resulted in the consultation period being extended to 15th February 2021.
Our expert consultants continue to review the additional information Veolia has provided, and we are encouraging those opposed to this application to object again to the proposals during HCC's public consultation period.
17th December 2020
On Friday 11th December, Hampshire County Council issued a third "Regulation 25" notice (PDF) to Veolia, to provide more information not already supplied in their planning application with regard to landscape and visual impact.
On Monday 14th December, the following working day, Veolia replied to all three "Regulation 25" notices with hundreds of pages of additional information. These documents attempt to address questions and issues raised by HCC, the public, and raised by No Wey Incinerator experts in our official objection (PDF).
This now triggers a further public consultation period with HCC.
No Wey Incinerator and our expert consultants are now reviewing this substantial amount of new information, and we will be in touch with our supporters with the most effective objections to make as soon as we can.
23rd November 2020
Hampshire County Council have issued a second "Regulation 25" notice (PDF) to Veolia on 12th November, to provide more information not already supplied in their planning application. This covers air quality, carbon impact, and a number of other issues.
HCC have also engaged the consultants Atkins to evaluate Veolia's claims on the topics of air quality and carbon impact, and the report from Atkins (PDF) highlights significant deficiencies in Veolia's application, which the Regulation 25 notice asks them to remedy. In particular, Veolia's claims of the carbon benefits of the incinerator are highly contentious. Atkins have taken the time to review in detail the issues put forward by the No Wey Incinerator experts expressed in our official objection (PDF), and agree with many of our findings.
A third Regulation 25 notice will eventually be sent to Veolia, covering Landscape and Visual Impact. HCC's own landscape department have already issued a "holding objection" pending further information from Veolia.
Veolia have still not replied to the first Regulation 25 notice which had a deadline of 13th November.
23rd October 2020
Hampshire County Council issue a "Regulation 25" notice to Veolia to provide more information not already supplied in their planning application (PDF). One or more further notices may be issued.
This first notice includes requests for further information from Veolia on the need for the plant, alternative sites, ecology, historic environment, and fire risks. It includes a number of points raised in the No Wey Incinerator official objection (PDF) and by members of the public.
If and when further information is received from Veolia, there may be a further public consultation period. The requested date for a response is 13th November, but it is unlikely Veolia will be able to complete the required information in time.
5th October 2020
HCC finish counting and publishing all the objections received. In total, almost 3,300 were submitted, including from three district and borough councils (East Hampshire, Waverley, and Basingstoke and Deane), two town councils (Alton and Farnham), 19 parish councils, two Members of Parliament - Damian Hinds and Jeremy Hunt, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, the South Downs National Park Authority and Natural England.
We believe this makes this planning application one of the top 10 most objected applications in the UK in recent years.
14th August 2020
HCC's public consultation period for Veolia's planning application closes, with HCC receiving approximately one objection per minute on the last day of the consultation.
6th August 2020
No Wey Incinerator Action Group submits their objection to Veolia's plans, compiled by the planning committee and the team of expert consultants employed to examine the application. PDF - click here to read.
3rd July 2020
HCC's public consultation period for the planning application opens. NWI deliver leaflets to thousands of households, and start a publicity and social media campaign, to raise public awareness and encourage objections to the application.
26th May 2020
Veolia submits their planning application to HCC. It consists of 154 documents and 2,246 pages. Due to the size of the application, it is 24th June before it appears on HCC's web site. Click here to read on Hampshire County Council's website
April-May 2020
The No Wey Incinerator group begins fundraising to support an information campaign, and funding of expert consultants to examine Veolia's application. Thanks to the generosity of donors, in excess of the initial target of £40,000 is raised.
12th March 2020
Froyle, Binsted and Bentley Parish Councils organise a community meeting to discuss the imminent planning application. Over 130 people attended and 85 registered their immediate support for an action group to be formed. The No Wey Incinerator Action Group is formed by volunteers from the community.
February-March 2020
Veolia begin leaflet drops and public information sessions in the nearest villages regarding their plans for an incinerator on the site.
September 2019
HCC respond to Veolia's application with a "Scoping Opinion", explaining what would need to be covered in a full planning application
August 2019
Veolia submit a "Scoping Report" to HCC regarding potential redevelopment of the Alton recycling facility into an Energy Recovery Facility (ERF)/incinerator.