Legal appeals against the much-needed facility were rejected for the final time recently and the council has been able to put final arrangements in place for the building of the construction of the plant.

The Ardley EfW plant will treat at least 95 per cent of Oxfordshire's non-recyclable household waste, diverting it away from landfill, while generating enough electricity to supply more than 38,000 households.

Landfilling waste produces methane, which is a powerful greenhouse gas over 20 times more damaging than CO2. Continuing to landfill in Oxfordshire would also incur huge tax costs in the coming years as central Government puts pressure on councils to find alternatives. More about energy from waste.

Waste contract

Oxfordshire County Council has entered into a contract with Viridor Oxfordshire Limited for the construction of the Ardley EfW. Planning permission for the plant was recommended for approval by the government's planning inspector and was approved by the Secretary of State in February 2011.

Appeals

Ardley Against Incinerator applied to the High Court to have the Secretary of State's decision overturned. This application was firmly refused in July 2011 and permission to appeal was also refused in September 2011. A last ditch attempt to gain permission to appeal was rejected earlier in November.

Councillor Lorraine Lindsay Gale, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Growth and Infrastructure, said: "In coming weeks we’ll see Viridor move on to the site and work will begin. It has been a long and exhaustive process to get to this stage, but the construction of the EfW facility will now become a reality.

"This much needed facility will bring real financial and environmental benefits to Oxfordshire. Not only will it treat most of our residual municipal waste saving us significant landfill tax costs, but it will also be able to treat much of Oxfordshire’s commercial and industrial waste too and help our businesses reduce their future landfill tax bill. We hope that now all the proper planning and legal processes have been completed people will accept this much needed facility going ahead."