Residents' health fears over plan to burn more waste

Some south London residents say they fear for their health after the Environment Agency (EA) approved for more waste to be burned at an incinerator each year.

Jim has lived in Sutton for nearly 20 years, about 15 minutes from the Beddington incinerator. He says his life has worsened since the plant began operating.

"When the wind has dropped, you can smell a kind of toxic chemical smell, and it's like a taste that you can almost feel on the back of your throat," he said.

Sutton Council has called on the government to "answer the very real concerns of the community", but the EA said it placed "stringent conditions" on waste sites and emissions from the plant were "monitored around the clock".

Jim told the BBC: "Certainly since the incinerator started up, things have got considerably worse."

He described seeing large amounts of dust that he said was new to the area. "Obviously dust is fine particles. Most of it is in the air, but some of it will land on your windowsill," he said.

His concerns have deepened since the EA granted the site permission to process about 10% more waste each year, around 35,000 tonnes, taking the annual limit to 382,286 tonnes.

"I do worry about it a lot," he said. "I'm furious that they've brought about this new increase. That's 10% more rubbish that we'll be breathing in."

Sutton Council said it had not welcomed the increase, and called on the EA and the government to "answer the very real concerns of the community and explain this terrible decision". It pointed out a school also sits about 700m from the incinerator's chimneys.

Christopher Woolmer, chair of the council's environment committee, said he was "deeply disappointed" by the decision, which the council had consistently opposed.

He said the authority formally objected last year, arguing the site lacked the capacity to process the proposed volume and raising concerns about Viridor's repeated permit breaches, which he said had led to a downgrade in its compliance rating.

"We stand with our local residents who share our serious concerns," Woolmer said. "While we recognise that energy from waste facilities has a role in managing waste, it is imperative the highest standards are maintained."

But independent councillor Nick Matty said the council itself had questions to answer.

"For a council that describes itself as a smarter, greener, fairer borough, it's just absurd that we've got something that generates so much CO2," he said. He added that he would continue to raise his constituents' concerns.

Viridor, which runs the site, said the EA had independently reviewed the application after the facility demonstrated it could process additional waste while continuing to operate within strict environmental permit requirements.

The plant had previously exceeded its emission limits 916 times between 2022 and 2024. Viridor said those breaches were caused by a third-party contractor and were very small in scale, did not pose a risk to human health, and that safeguards were now in place to prevent a recurrence.

The EA said it was satisfied the variation met environmental requirements and provided a high level of protection for human health and the environment.

The updated permit also allows the site to temporarily store and move some hazardous and clinical waste, although these materials will not be burned there.

Matt Higginson, an environment manager at the agency, said permits placed "stringent conditions" on waste sites.

"Emissions from the plant are monitored around the clock, and the data is rigorously assessed to identify if any breaches to the permit occur," he said. The agency has powers to suspend or revoke permits, issue enforcement notices or pursue prosecution in serious cases.

Sutton Council said it was considering what action it could take to ensure all the necessary safeguards were in place.

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