Latest about Rookery South
Visit Rookery South's website to find out the latest news.
Construction and operation
Covanta started construction on the site and implemented the development consent order (DCO) on 8 January 2018. The Environment Agency issued a permit to Covanta Energy Limited for the waste incineration plant on 26 January 2018. Bedfordshire Against Covanta Incinerator (BACI) sought a judicial review of the Environment Agency’s decision and a hearing in the High Court took place in October 2018. The judicial review was dismissed in November 2018. BACI appealed this decision in the Court of Appeal, which was rejected in November 2019.
After 3 years of ground works, construction and the completion of its formal commissioning phases, the plant is now fully operational. The Minerals and Waste team has been heavily involved in ensuring Covanta (and its principal contractor Hitachi Zosen INOVA) complies with the requirements of the DCO throughout the construction period.
The Environment Agency is responsible for regulating the site’s environmental permit.
View approved plans and drawings (PDFs)
Along with Bedford Borough Council, Central Bedfordshire Council renewed its waste contract for black bin collections. We awarded these contracts to Veolia with waste, over time, being treated at Rookery South.
Waste deliveries may enter the site directly from a curbside collection or via a waste transfer station where the waste would have been “bulked” up before delivery to the site. It is likely that both types of deliveries will take place at Rookery South.
Local community
Under the terms of the Section 106 agreement attached to the DCO, Covanta was required to set up a community liaison panel (CLP) whereby information about the development could be shared and any questions answered. The CLP meets quarterly and allows interaction between Rookery South employees, local community representatives (such as your councillor; find out who your councillor is), interest groups, and regulators.
The communities currently represented at the meetings are:
- Brogborough
- Cranfield
- Houghton Conquest
- Lidlington
- Martson Moreteyne (formerly Marston Moretaine)
- Millbrook
- Stewartby
- Wootton
The meetings will continue to take place, once the site is fully operational.
Complaints
Pollution complaints
Telephone: 0800 807 060 (24-hour hotline)
The Environment Agency deals with pollution control matters in connection with the operations at Rookery South Energy Recovery Facility. It operates a 24-hour incident hotline number which is the best way to report complaints such as those relating to odour.
All other complaints
To complain direct to the site:
- email rookery-project@hz-inova.com
- call the site manager, Chris Barbour on 07950 387 124
- contact Rookery South Limited online
Background
A development consent order was granted by a panel of commissions appointed by the government's Infrastructure Planning Committee (IPC) for a resource recovery facility at Rookery South Pit on 13 October 2011. Along with Bedford Borough Council, we objected to and opposed the issuing of the order. An order was issued on 25 March 2013 accompanied by a Section 106 Agreement.
Covanta and Veolia have partnered with Green Investment Group (a company specialising in investment in green industries) to construct and operate the resource recovery facility.
The development is comprised of an energy from waste facility and a post-treatment materials recovery facility.
The facility will take up to 545,000 tonnes of a mix of household, commercial and industrial waste (non-hazardous only). The waste will be then be combusted at temperatures greater than 850 degrees celsius. The heat will convert water into steam, which will drive generators to produce electricity for the National Grid. The plant will be able to produce circa 65MW (mega watts) when at full capacity (electricity for 65,000 homes).