French waste giant Veolia in plans to rebuild facility in Rainham despite plans for a wildlife conservation park.

Havering Council’s planning department has advised councillors on the strategic planning committee to approve the new waste facility.

Local democracy reporter Josh Mellor today writes:

Plans for a huge new waste processing factory on the bank of the River Thames will go before Havering Council this Thursday.

French waste giant Veolia currently has a large plastics and waste sorting facility in Rainham, next to a towering landfill hill made of waste deposited on the site since the 1980s.

Under the council’s existing planning permission, granted in 2016, Veolia must “restore” the new hill and stop operating its facility by the end of this year.

This is part of the long-term plan for the hill to become part of a “Wildspace Conservation Park” that is “fully open to the public” by 2031.

However, the multinational company now wants to extend permission and rebuild the facility – which is used to recycle plastic, cans, containers and bottles – until 2026.

The buildings, which currently take up 8,000sqm, would be rebuilt to a 12,000sqm single-roof building with permission to remain on the site indefinitely.

The waste plant buildings would sit alongside other neighbouring large warehouses and industrial buildings Havering has approved in recent years, including the 35,000sqm Freightmaster Estate.

Havering Council’s planning department has advised councillors on the strategic planning committee to approve the new waste facility.

In a report to the committee, case officer Malachy McGovern said there are “no material environmental concerns” and no negative to impacts on neighbours of the site.

If permission is granted, the application will then be referred to the Mayor of London, who has a veto over major developments.

Details of the plans include a mix of dark and light grey colouring on the building to reduce the visual impact of the building on the country park.

The site will be surrounded by a new 2.4metre high fence stone wall and paladin fence.

For further details of the planning application, visit Havering Council’s website and search for reference P0718.23.

Neighbouring the site, Veolia also runs a power station that generates electricity using methane from the landfill and a plant that treats contaminated water.

Permission for these machines to operate also expires in December this year, but Veolia has submitted a new application to extend their use for “60+ years” under reference P0718.23.

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