Dear Inspectorate, I live near the proposed Medworth EFW site. Could you please advise as to what would happen if under the new PM national planning, environmental or other relevant law is changed during the examination of the Medworth proposal. Clearly changes that may influence representations would be important to the likes of myself and I would appreciate your advice.
Thank you for your email of the 12 October regarding the Medworth Energy from Waste project in which you enquire what would happen if under the new Prime Minister national planning, environmental or other relevant law is changed during the Examination of the proposal. Please accept our apologies for the delay in replying. Examining Authorities must make their recommendations after Examination in accordance with the government’s National Policy Statements (NPSs); except in specified circumstances including where the adverse impacts of a Proposed Development would outweigh its benefits (see s104 of the Planning Act 2008 for further information). The NPSs are produced by government and undergo a democratic process of public consultation and parliamentary scrutiny before being designated (i.e adopted). Other policies may also be relevant and important matters which the Examining Authority will consider. The Planning Inspectorate is impartial and does not comment on government policy. However, as explained above Examining Authorities do make their recommendations within the framework provided by NPSs, as required by the Planning Act 2008. The Decision on whether an application is consented or not will ultimately be made by the relevant Secretary of State (SoS) after receiving the recommendation from the Examining Authority. The relevant SoS is the minister with responsibility for the area of government business that an application relates to. For example for this application the SoS for the Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy makes the final decision. The relevant SoS has three months from when the Recommendation Report is submitted in which to make a their decision. If the relevant NPS has not been designated, Section 105 of the Planning Act 2008 sets out what the SoS must have regard to in making their decision where a relevant NPS is not designated. This includes any matter that the SoS thinks is important and relevant to the Secretary of State’s decision. This could include a draft NPS, if one exists. For more information see the National Policy Statements page. [attachment 1] On a general point, a decision maker for an application for a Development Consent Order may take into account any matter they consider to be important or relevant. This may include any emerging national plan, policy or emerging local plan or policy document. It is for the decision maker to decide how much weight to attach to that document. To date we note that you have not submitted a relevant representation. We would encourage you to please make sure that you register as an Interested Party and submit a summary of what you agree with and/ or disagree with in relation to the application [attachment 2] by the Deadline of 23:59 on 15 November 2022. Further information about taking part in the Examination process can be found on our website where there are a suite of Advice Notes. Advice Note 8 provides an Overview of the nationally significant infrastructure planning process for members of the public and others. [attachment 3] Please do not hesitate to contact us again if you have any queries by emailing the Inspectorate’s Medworth project mailbox [email protected]

Dr M G Little

Further to my earlier mail of 16th August and your kind response, it is noted that we are now subject to a further delay on the process of Registering an Interest. Your information box now states that we can expect this process to begin early October 2022. I will not raise the issue of working from home, but will ask who is responsible for this further delay, MVV or Planning, and how reliable is this new extended date? Furthermore, is there a deadline in your protocol for Registering an Interest to proceed? As you can imagine the good citizens of Wisbech are justifiably concerned by this project hanging over their heads and frustrated by the procrastination exhibited by certain parties. Many thanks for your prompt response
Thank you for your email. The registration form to become an Interested Party should be available on our website in early October. We currently cannot give a specific date as the date the relevant representation period is open is generated by the Applicant when they issue and publicise their notification under s56 of the Planning Act 2008. For your information, under s56 of the Planning Act 2008 the Applicant has a duty to publicise an accepted application in the manner prescribed in Regulation 4 of The Infrastructure Planning (Applications: Prescribed Forms And Procedures) Regulations 2009. This publication must set the deadline for the receipt of Relevant Representations by the Planning Inspectorate which must be a period of at least 30 days following the date when the notice was last published in the local newspaper. When we receive this information from the Applicant we will publish the dates within which you can register and submit your comments on our website as soon as possible. The best way to find out when registration is open is to sign up to receive email updates for this particular project. Further information about registering as an Interested Party can be found in the Planning Inspectorate’s ‘Advice Note 8.2: How to register to participate in an Examination’ which can be found here: [attachment 1] Hope you find the above information useful.

WisWIN - Wisbech Without Incineration - Tom Howlett

Morning, Will we be automatically notified of the 30 day registration period? Do we need to register & do we need to submit a skeleton of our argument at this stage? I want to understand when you will request information from us to enable us to factor in Committees and notify staff who will be working on the response.
Thanks for your email. The proposed development falls partly within your council’s jurisdiction. This means that you do not have to register, as you are automatically included within the process. However, you may wish to outline your arguments at an early stage, if so, then you would use the registration form. The registration form will be available on our website around the end of September, unfortunately we can’t give a specific date as it is generated by the Applicant when they issue their notifications. The best way to find out when registration is open is to sign up to receive email updates, you might want to add shared mailboxes or colleagues. [attachment 1];email= [attachment 2] Once we have the list of people or organisations who have registered to take part we will send out the draft timetable. This is likely to be in November. The letter will also include an invitation to the Preliminary Meeting where the draft timetable, and other elements laid out in the letter, will be discussed. That meeting is approximately six weeks after the letter is sent, so in December or January. After that the Examination will begin. As a local authority you also have the opportunity to set out your arguments in a Local Impact Report, the deadline is usually a few weeks after examination starts. I hope this is helpful. If you would like to read more about the process please refer to Advice Note two: The role of local authorities in the development consent process. [attachment 3]

Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk

Please see attached correspondence
Thank you for your letter of 12 August 2022 on behalf of your client Fountain Frozen Limited (attached). Please accept our apologies for the delay in replying. As you are aware, the Medworth Energy from Waste Combined Heat and Power Facility application was accepted for Examination on the 2 August 2022. Section 55 of the Planning Act 2008 (PA2008) states that an application can be accepted provided: • it is an application for an order granting development consent; • that development consent is required for any of the development to which the application relates; • the Applicant has, in relation to a proposed application that has become the application, complied with Chapter 2 of Part 5 (pre-application procedure); and • that the application (including accompaniments) is of a standard that the Secretary of State considers satisfactory. When making the decision to accept the application the following was considered: • The Consultation Report received with the application • Any Adequacy of Consultation Representations received by the Planning Inspectorate from a local authority consultee. • The extent to which the Applicant has had regard to government guidance. The Planning Inspectorate on behalf of the Secretary of State, has decided that the Application has met the required Acceptance tests in Section 55 of the Planning Act 2008, which includes a decision that the Applicant has met its statutory pre-application consultation requirements under the Planning Act 2008. In your letter you have raised concern about the information contained within the Applicant’s Consultation Report. Advice Note 14: Compiling the Consultation Report clarifies the purpose of the Consultation Report, which is to explain how the Applicant has complied with the pre-application consultation requirements set down in the PA2008. [attachment 1] Following Acceptance, we have entered the Pre-examination stage when you and your client will be able to submit comments on the application. Your comments must be submitted on the ‘Registration and Relevant Representation form’ which will be made available on our website. We expect the registration period to open on 30 August for a minimum of 30 days within which you can register and submit your comments on our website. Further information about registering as an Interested Party can be found in the Planning Inspectorate’s ‘Advice Note 8.2: How to register to participate in an Examination’ which can be found here: [attachment 2] You may also wish to subscribe to the project page and receive email updates on the project website. I hope you have found this reply helpful and do not hesitate to get in contact if you have any further queries and send those queries to the project mailbox which is monitored each working day.

on behalf of Fountain Frozen Limited - Fraser Dawbarns LLP

I refer to your email below [regarding the adequacy of consultation], which has been circulated to various colleagues here at the Council. There has been a delay in responding to this, owing to various colleagues being on annual leave. I do not know if a response has been supplied to you, however I have a draft response ready which I can send to you. Please can you let me know if you have already received a response, and if not, I will have it sent straight away. Kind regards, Chris
Dear Mr Stanek Thank you for your email, As you may already know, the Planning Inspectorate accepted the Medworth Energy from Waste Combined Heat and Power Facility project for Examination on the 3 August 2022. One of the requirements under s42 of the Planning Act is to ensure that the Applicant carried out adequate consultation. It is for that reason that your Authority was contacted. As the project has already been Accepted for Examination, the Case Team cannot accept any Adequacy of Consultation responses. You will be able to submit your comments on the project as a ‘Relevant Representation’ and register as an Interested Party. Your comments must be submitted on the ‘Registration and Relevant Representation form’ which will be made available on the project webpage at the appropriate time (likely to start on 30 August for four weeks). [attachment 1] More on how to become an Interested Party can be found in Advice Note 8.2: How to register to participate in an Examination. [attachment 2] Additionally, your LPA can also have their say through a Local Impact Report, more of which can be found in Advice Note 1: Local Impact Reports. [attachment 3] We appreciate you taking the time to write back. Just as a reminder, please remember to cc the project mailbox (M[email protected]) as this is monitored daily.

Hertfordshire County Council - Christopher Stanek

Submission Received from Stephen Barclay MP during the Acceptance Period
Please see The Inspectorate's response attached

Rt Hon Stephen Barclay MP

Hi there, Please advise if working from home has a detrimental impact on your ability to process planning applications. It seems that there is rather an erratic processing element in your consideration. The timescale for considering the Medworth application was short and now the process for registering as interested party appears to be elongated. Your comments are valued.
Thank you for your email of 16 August 2022. Please note that our project mailbox is monitored during standard office hours Monday to Friday and we aim to respond to any queries promptly. As you are aware, the Medworth Energy from Waste Combined Heat and Power Facility application was accepted for Examination on 2 August 2022. You will be able to submit your comments as a ‘Relevant Representation’ and register as an Interested Party. Your comments must be submitted on the ‘Registration and Relevant Representation form’ which will be made available on the project webpage of the National Infrastructure Planning website at the appropriate time. Please note that we will publish the dates within which you can register and submit your comments on our website (likely to start on 30 August). Registration is open for a minimum of 30 days. Further information about registering as an Interested Party can be found in the Planning Inspectorate’s ‘Advice Note 8.2: How to register to participate in an Examination’ which can be found here: [attachment 1] You may also find it useful to refer to the suite of Advice Notes and other information on the National Infrastructure website which provide information about the National Infrastructure process and the various stages and timing of those stages. You may find it helpful to also subscribe to receive email updates on the project website. I hope you find the above information useful.

Tom Howlett

I understand that PINS has accepted the Medworth application. Are you able to tell me when we should expect the start date letter, detailing the stages on when we will be expected to respond?
As you already know, the Planning Inspectorate accepted the application for Examination on the 2 August 2022. Once the Applicant has published and notified people of an accepted application (through means such as their website , notifications to statutory parties and notices in the local media), the Planning Inspectorate has approximately three months to prepare for the Examination. During this Pre-examination stage, you will be able to register to become an Interested Party on the application by making a Relevant Representation. You will be able to submit your comments as a ‘Relevant Representation’ and register as an Interested Party. Your comments must be submitted on the ‘Registration and Relevant Representation form’ which will be made available on the project webpage of the National Infrastructure Planning website at the appropriate time. We will publish the dates within which you can register and submit your comments on our website (likely to start on 30 August). Registration will be open for a minimum of 30 days. Further information about registering as an Interested Party can be found in the Planning Inspectorate’s ‘Advice Note 8.2: How to register to participate in an Examination’ which can be found here: [attachment 1] After the RR period is over a Rule 6 letter, appointing the Examining Authority and an Invitation to the Preliminary Meeting will be published and issued to statutory parties and interested parties. This will include a draft Examination Timetable. This letter is normally issued around the three month period from the date of publication of the notification of acceptance. You may also find it useful to refer to the suite of Advice Notes and other information on the National Infrastructure website which provide information about the National Infrastructure process and the various stages and timing of those stages. You may also find it helpful to also subscribe to receive email updates on the project website. Just as a reminder, please remember to send all emails to the Medworth mailbox (M[email protected]) as this is monitored daily.

Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk and West Norfolk

phone enquiry
Thank you for your phone enquiry on 15 August. Please note that we will publish the dates within which you can register and submit your comments on our website (likely to start on 30 August). Registration is open for a minimum of 30 days. You may find it helpful to subscribe to receive email updates on the project website. For further guidance on how to register to participate in an Examination please see [attachment 1] I hope you find the above information useful.

WisWIN - Wisbech Without Incineration - Virginia Bucknor

Dear Planning Inspector, I am writing to submit comments on the Medworth Energy from Waste Project. They are as follows: As the Member of Parliament for South West Norfolk, a constituency bordering the proposed Medworth Energy from Waste project in Wisbech, my constituents have expressed concerns over the consultation conducted by the company. Specifically, constituents feel limited notice was provided and that with the consultation undertaken during a period of closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic, no serious public discussion was able to take place. I therefore encourage the planning inspectorate, on behalf of the Secretary of State, to consider these concerns before accepting the application. Liz Truss MP Good afternoon, I am emailing today regarding the submission of comments for the planning inspectorate regarding the Medworth Waste Site in Wisbech. We are unsure where we need to place these comments, and consequently we are emailing Liz’s comments to this email address. If this is not the protocol, can you please send us the link where we can do this? Please get back to us to confirm whether we are doing the right thing in emailing you to get Liz’s comments forward and public, or if we must seek another route. Best wishes, Jacob Reeder - Constituency Assistant Office of the Rt. Hon Elizabeth Truss MP
Dear Ms Truss and Mr Reeder (Office of the Rt. Hon Elizabeth Truss MP) Thank you for your enquiry of 3 August requesting information on the process of submitting documents relating to applications for Development Consent Orders, and on 4 August commenting on the Applicant’s pre-application consultation. The Medworth Energy from Waste Combined Heat and Power Facility application was accepted for Examination on 2 August 2022. You will find the acceptance letter on the project website. [attachment 1] You will be able to comment on the application once the Applicant has notified the public, either in writing or as a published notice, of the accepted application. We will publish the dates within which you can register and submit your comments on our website. Registration is open for a minimum of 28 days. You may find it helpful to subscribe to receive email updates. You may wish to see further guidance on how to register to participate in an Examination. [attachment 2] I hope you find the above information useful.

Office of the Rt. Hon Elizabeth Truss MP - Liz Truss

Thank you for your response in May. MVV have since advised our Councils that they would be submitting their proposal today - Monday 6th July. All councils have formally objected to their proposal - Cambridgeshire County Council and Norfolk County Council, Fenland District Council and King's Lynn Borough Council. Nothing has yet been published either on MVV's website or yours. When will their submission be available to review by the public? Also during the 30 day consideration period by the Planning Inspectorate, will you be visiting Wisbech? Your advice appreciated.
Thank you for your enquiry in regard to the Medworth Energy from Waste Combined Heat and Power Facility Nationally Significant Infrastructure project. Please be informed that the Applicant has indicated that it will be submitting the Application later this week. The Planning Inspectorate aims to publish the NSIP Application for development consent with all its associated documentation on the National Infrastructure website as soon as practicable after its receipt (including the Consultation Report). However, please note that it is the Applicant’s decision whether they agree to this, so they may decide to have the Application documents published only if the Application is accepted for Examination. In this instance, the Applicant has not agreed to publishing the Application documents during the Acceptance period. The statutory timetable for the Acceptance of an application is 28 days, beginning with the day after the date of receipt of the application. The Inspectorate must consider whether the Application and its supporting documents are satisfactory and capable of being examined within the statutory timescale. During Pre-examination and/or the Examination period the Examining Authority will carry out a site inspection. This can be Unaccompanied and/or Accompanied, and is up to the discretion of the Examining Authority. You may wish to read more about the Examination of an application, the hearings and site inspections in Advice Note 8.5 The Examination: hearings and site inspections. [attachment 1] I hope you find the above information useful.

WisWIN - Wisbech Without Incineration - Virginia Bucknor

We noted in some correspondence that PINS advised that MVV Medworth’s consultation summary may not be able to be made public. Council officers will need to circulate all the information on the application to elected members who may wish to publicise all aspects of the NSIP, and therefore I wondered if you are able to give any indication on whether this would be the case and if so, why? It has been suggested that this might just be a matter of the timing of getting documents uploaded to the PINS webpage for the NSIP and if so, it may be that MVV Medworth make this information public themselves. Noting the 14 day response time given on Adequacy of consultation, we are looking to front load as much work as possible so I’d be grateful for any information or advice you can provide on this point.
In response to your query, as to why the Consultation Report may not be in the public domain during the Acceptance period and must not be shared with Third Parties, please note the following information. As you are aware our letter sent to you on the 12 May 2022 states that ‘the Consultation Report may not be in the public domain so please do not share the version that we send to you with any third parties’. I can provide an explanation for the reasoning behind this. As indicated in paragraph 15 of the Planning Inspectorate’s Advice Note Two: [attachment 1] the role of local authorities in the development consent process, with the agreement of the Applicant, the Planning Inspectorate will publish the NSIP application for development consent with all its associated documentation on the National Infrastructure website as soon as practicable after its receipt (including the Consultation Report). However, it is the Applicant’s decision whether they agree to this, so they may decide to have the application documents published only if the Application is accepted for Examination. Therefore, it is up to he Applicant whether to opt to have all the Application documents published during the Acceptance period. You may wish to explain to your council members that the ‘Acceptance stage’ for NSIP applications is similar to the checking and validation process that a local authority would carry out in respect of a planning application. Given the statutory status of the pre-application stage in the NSIP process, the Planning Inspectorate also has a role to check that the pre-application consultation undertaken by the Applicant was in accordance with the Planning Act 2008 (PA 2008), including the Statement of Community Consultation (SoCC). The Inspectorate must also consider whether the Application and its supporting documents are satisfactory and capable of being examined within the statutory timescale. The statutory timetable for the Acceptance of an application is 28 days, beginning with the day after the date of receipt of the application. As soon as possible after receipt of the application, the Planning Inspectorate will then invite the host and neighbouring local authorities to submit an Adequacy of Consultation representation (AoC). The Planning Inspectorate must have regard to any comments it receives from host and neighbouring authorities in deciding whether or not to accept an application The Inspectorate will be seeking the Adequacy of Consultation representation from the relevant local authorities, including Cambridgeshire County Council within 14 calendar days of the request. To enable this the local authorities will be sent an electronic link to the Consultation Report. It is important to note that a local authorities positive view about an Applicant’s compliance with these statutory duties will not prejudice a local authority’s objection in principle to the Application or any part of it. As at this stage the local authorities are not being asked for views on the merits of the Application. For further information on the NSIP process your council members may wish to view our suite of Advice Notes [attachment 1] and Frequently Asked Questions [attachment 3] I hope you find the above information helpful to explain to your council’s members. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to get in contact.

Cambridgeshire County Council

I refer to your letter dated 12th May 2022 regarding the above. Providing that the application is submitted by 7th June 2022, we will be taking an urgent item to Planning Committee on 15th June. I will need to explain to Members why the Consultation Report may not be in the public domain and must not be shared with Third Parties. Please can you advise the reasoning behind that approach?
Thank you for providing the contact details for your Local Authority in regard to the Medworth Energy from Waste Combined Heat and Power Facility Nationally Significant Infrastructure project (NSIP). In response to your query, as to why the Consultation Report may not be in the public domain and must not be shared with Third Parties, please note the following information. As you are aware our letter sent to you on the 12 May 2022 states that ‘the Consultation Report may not be in the public domain so please do not share the version that we send to you with any third parties’. I can provide an explanation for the reasoning behind this. As indicated in paragraph 15 of the Planning Inspectorate’s Advice Note Two: the role of local authorities in the development consent process, with the agreement of the Applicant, the Planning Inspectorate will publish the NSIP application for development consent with all its associated documentation on the National Infrastructure website as soon as practicable after its receipt (including the Consultation Report). However, it is the Applicant’s decision on whether they agree to this, so they may decide to have the application documents published only if the Application is accepted for Examination. You may wish to explain to your council members that the ‘Acceptance stage’ for NSIP applications is similar to the checking and validation process that a local authority would carry out in respect of a planning application. Given the statutory status of the pre-application stage in the NSIP process, the Planning Inspectorate also has a role to check that the pre-application consultation undertaken by the Applicant was in accordance with the Planning Act 2008 (PA 2008), including the Statement of Community Consultation (SoCC). The Inspectorate must also consider whether the application and its supporting documents are satisfactory and capable of being examined within the statutory timescale. The statutory timetable for the acceptance of an application is 28 days, beginning with the day after the date of receipt of the application. As soon as possible after receipt of the application, the Planning Inspectorate will invite the host and neighbouring local authorities to submit an adequacy of consultation representation (AoC). The Planning Inspectorate must have regard to any comments it receives from host and neighbouring authorities in deciding whether or not to accept an application The Inspectorate will be seeking the adequacy of consultation representation from the relevant local authorities, including the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk within 14 calendar days of the request. Please note that a local authorities positive view about compliance with these statutory duties will not prejudice a local authority’s objection in principle to the application or any part of it. As at this stage the local authorities are not being asked for views on the merits of the application. For further information on the NSIP process your council members may wish to view our suite of Advice Notes and Frequently Asked Questions I hope you find the above information helpful to explain to your council’s members.

Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk - Hannah Wood-Handy

I would appreciate your clarification as soon as possible. The above proposal is on the outskirts of Wisbech on the borders of Norfolk and Cambridgeshire. We have had recent meetings with the Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council and King's Lynn Borough Council together with their planning officers. At a public council meeting of Norfolk County Council yesterday it was stated that they were a Primary Consultee. This is also the view of Cambridgeshire County Council and Kings Lynn Borough Council. However this was challenged by a professional with experience of incinerator planning who believes that only Fenland District Council are Primary Consultees. As MVV-Medworth have stated that they plan to submit their application around the the 23rd May, I would appreciate your urgent clarification.
Thank you for your enquiry in regard to the Medworth Energy from Waste Combined Heat and Power Facility Nationally Significant Infrastructure project. Please note the following information which confirms the status of the Local Authorities under Section 43 (Planning Act 2008): Cambridgeshire County Council and Norfolk County Council: Host Authority (C) Fenland District Council and King's Lynn Borough Council: Host Authority (B) You may wish to view our Advice Note Two for further definition of the Host Authorities. [attachment 1] Please be informed that the Application is likely to be submitted late June now. I hope you find the above information useful.

WisWIN - Wisbech Without Incineration - Virginia Bucknor

With regard to your response regarding the submission from MVV Medworth, whilst the company have amended the date when they propose to submit their application several times, I understand this has now moved from the “1st quarter 2022” to Easter. Given that the Planning Inspectorate are required to respond within 28 days, I suspect that MVV may submit to you on the 14th April, ie, just before Good Friday and the Easter Holidays for many families and your response time will therefore be squeezed (as MVV did during their submission in December 2019). Can you please advise whether, during that 28 day period, (whenever the submission occurs), you be visiting Wisbech to see for yourselves the impact this will have on the area? Your advice appreciated. 09/01/2022 May I have your advice please. MVV-Medworth plan to submit their application to you in this first quarter 2022. On your site, link below, it shows the current status and of the approximately 200 objections sent to MVV and copied to yourselves, only a few are shown. [attachment 1] Can you clarify please as your stated link in July (8.1) is not currently working. Any further advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your emails. I apologise for the delay in responding. Firstly, please note that we only reply to correspondence that is sent direct ‘to’ us. Correspondence that is copied (‘cc’) to us we keep on file. When we reply to correspondence sent directly to us there is a statutory duty, under section 51 of the Planning Act 2008, to record the advice that is given in relation to an application or a potential application, including the name of the person who requested the advice, and to make this publicly available on the relevant project page of the National Infrastructure Planning website. As you are aware the proposed Medworth Energy from Waste Combined Heat and Power Facility application is currently at the Pre-application stage of the Planning Act 2008 process. Further information about the process can be found in the link below to the National Infrastructure Planning website: [attachment 2] For your information, the Application is due to be submitted towards the end of May 2022. The process consists of six stages: Pre-application, Acceptance, Pre-examination, Examination, Recommendation and Decision and Post-decision. Upon receipt of an application for development consent, the Planning Inspectorate has 28 days to decide whether or not to accept it for Examination. Should the application be accepted for Examination you will be able to register as an Interested Party by submitting a relevant representation. This must be submitted on the ‘Registration and Relevant Representation form’ which will be made available on the project webpage of the National Infrastructure Planning website at the appropriate time.? If an application is accepted, there is a flexible period, the Pre-examination stage, which usually lasting about three months. All parties should use this stage to prepare for the Examination stage. An Examining Authority then has up to six months to examine an application and three months to make their recommendation to the relevant Secretary of State. During Pre-examination and/or the Examination period the Examining Authority will carry out a site inspection. This can be Unaccompanied and/or Accompanied, and is up to the discretion of the Examining Authority. You may wish to read more about the Examination of an application, the hearings and site inspections in Advice Note 8.5 The Examination: hearings and site inspections. [attachment 3] I hope you find the above information useful.

WisWIN - Wisbech Without Incineration - Virginia Bucknor

We are anxiously awaiting MVV submission concerning their EfW proposal for Algores Way, Wisbech. Cambs. As part of the planning process the submission enters a phase called Pre-application, where the said proposal is considered for acceptance. The time scale for this process is stated as 28 days. Could you confirm if this process is purely a box tick phase, or internal consideration, or does anybody visit Wisbech from planning dept.? Thanks for your comments.
Thank you for your email and please accept my apologies for the delay in replying. In response to your query regarding the Acceptance of Medworth Energy from Waste Combined Heat and Power Facility, a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, I would like to draw your attention to the following information. To help decision-making on whether or not applications are of a satisfactory standard to be accepted for examination, the Planning Inspectorate has produced an ‘Acceptance of Applications Checklist’ based upon the criteria set out in s55 of the Planning Act 2008. A copy of the checklist is provided at Appendix 3 of Advice Note 6. Please note that the completion of this checklist by the Applicant should not however be seen as a guarantee that the application will be accepted as this is a matter for the Planning Inspectorate to consider on behalf of the Secretary of State. For further information please follow the links below; [attachment 1] [attachment 2] I hope you find the above information useful.

WisWIN - Tom Howlett

Project Update Meeting
Please see attached Meeting Note

Medworth CHP Limited

1. As the County Councillor for King’s Lynn South, I wish to reiterate my concern that MVV Energie did not consult with residents in my Division, whose health and wellbeing would be greatly affected by their facility and so MVV’s consultation is therefore invalid. I submitted a response in the consultation period, via the Borough Council. during the statutory consultation period 28 June- 13 August. 2. The study spatial domain is 15 km from stack emissions but MVV only consulted within a 2-mile radius, missing out thousands of human receptors in King’s Lynn, the third largest urban area in Norfolk, and an area of considerable deprivation. 3. As the prevailing wind is towards Lynn, with winds around the Rive Ouse to the North Sea being particularly tempestuous, turbulence could carry the plume from MVV’s incinerator down to ground level in King’s Lynn. 4. But MVV “ scoped out” the need to assess the impact on air quality in Lynn. This was a glaring and negligent omission. 5. MVV’s statutory consultation is therefore invalid and HM Planning Inspectorate cannot reasonably allow MVV to proceed to a planning application. 6. There is a national oversupply of incinerators. The Secretary of State and the High Court recently refused permission for an incinerator in Kent, on the grounds there is no need for it, the energy generated is partially renewable at best, and would lead to the burning of resources that should be recycled. 7. There is no need for an incinerator in the Fens, a key farming area. MVV’s facility would put at risk the fertility of the soil, through acidification. 8. MVV plan to deliver waste from a 2hr travelling radius, which would include London, is clearly against the proximity principle.
Thank you for your email of 28 November 2021 expressing concerns about the proposed Medworth Energy from Waste Combined Heat and Power Facility. The proposed application by Medworth CHP Ltd (the Applicant) is at the Pre-application stage of the Planning Act 2008 (PA2008) process. Therefore, the Planning Inspectorate is unable to consider representations about the merits of any application until it is accepted for Examination. The Planning Inspectorate also does not have the power to intervene in an Applicant’s pre-application programme. The process for applying for a Development Consent Order (DCO) is set out in the PA2008. The timing of the application’s programme is at the discretion of the Applicant. The Applicant has a statutory duty to have regard to all consultation responses received and this should be demonstrated in the Consultation Report which will form part of its DCO application. As soon as possible after receipt of the application, the Planning Inspectorate will invite the host and neighbouring local authorities to submit an adequacy of consultation representation. The Planning Inspectorate must have regard to any comments it receives from host and neighbouring authorities in deciding whether or not to accept an application for Examination. Further details can be found in Advice Note two: The role of local authorities in the development consent process Should the DCO application be accepted by the Inspectorate for examination, the applicant has a duty to notify the local community when providing information on how to register as an Interested Party for the purpose of the process. The process under the PA2008 has been designed to allow members of the public and statutory stakeholders to participate in examination of all DCO applications so that anyone interested in the proposed developments, their potential impacts and any relevant matters can be fully engaged in the examination process. Once the examination begins, the Examining Authority will assess all information submitted in the application documents and will consider whether the Applicant has provided the necessary level of information. The Planning Inspectorate has produced several Advice Notes to help provide an overview of the PA2008 process and the opportunities to get involved. They are available at the following link: [attachment 1] The following are particularly relevant: Advice Note 8: ‘Overview of the nationally significant infrastructure planning process for members of the public and others’. Advice Note 8.1: ‘Responding to the developer’s pre-application consultation’ Advice Note 8.2: ‘How to register to participate in an Examination’. Please be assured that anyone interested in the proposed developments, their potential impacts and any planning matters can be fully engaged in the examination process. A copy of your correspondence has been placed on our records and will be presented to the Inspector at acceptance together with the application documents and Local Authorities’ comments on the Applicant’s consultation. We have also published a Frequently Asked Questions document regarding Pre-application consultation and this can be viewed on our website here: [attachment 2]

Clenchwarton and King’s Lynn South - Cllr Alexandra Kemp

Project Update Meeting
Please see attached Meeting Note

Medworth CHP Limited

Various Enquiries by Tom Howlett; Jude Sutton; Jonathan Thompson; Alan James ; Vall Webb; Leigh Howley; Thelma Kensley; Amanda Bliss; Charlotte Crozier; G. Else; Lee Cook
Thank you for your correspondence regarding the proposed Medworth Energy from Waste Combined Heat and Power Facility. The proposed application by Medworth CHP Limited is at the Pre-application stage of the Planning Act 2008 (PA2008) process and an application for Development Consent has not yet been submitted to the Planning Inspectorate. An application is expected to be submitted in Quarter 1 2022. As you may be aware, the Applicant has recently carried out its statutory consultation period; the deadline for consultation responses was 13 August 2021. However, you can make general enquiries about this project directly with the Applicant via the following contact details: email - [email protected] Telephone - 01945 232 231 Freepost address: "Freepost MVV" Please note that the Pre-Application consultation process is entirely led by the Applicant, who are responsible for ensuring that they comply with the legislative requirements surrounding consultation which are set out in PA2008. Your correspondence provides your comments on the merits of the Proposed Development, which the Applicant sought during its consultation. We can see from your email that you have made these comments directly to the Applicant. If you are not satisfied that the Applicant is taking your comments into account, you should raise this with the Local Authority. Information about the Planning Inspectorate’s remit once an Application is submitted When an application is formally submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for Examination, an assessment is made on whether it is of a satisfactory standard to proceed to an Examination. One key element of this assessment is to check whether the Applicant has fulfilled its statutory consultation duties. In order to help make an informed decision on this matter the Planning Inspectorate writes to all relevant Local Authorities for their views on the adequacy of the consultation. The Applicant is also statutorily required to demonstrate in its submitted application where they have shown regard to responses received during their period of statutory consultation. If the application is subsequently accepted for Examination, parties are able to register as an Interested Party by making a Relevant Representation for the appointed Examining Authority to consider. Further information can be found in the Planning Inspectorate’s Advice Note 8.2 How to register to participate in an Examination. The appointed Examining Authority will make an initial assessment of the issues arising from the submitted application as well as from the Relevant Representations received, which will inform its Examination of the proposed development. In order to assist parties in understanding the Planning Act 2008 process, the Planning Inspectorate has prepared a suite of Advice Notes. In particular the Advice Note 8 series provides an overview for members of the public of the planning process for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects. These Advice Notes are available to view on the National Infrastructure Planning website: [attachment 1] I hope this information is of assistance.

Various Enquiries

Various Enquiries by Stuart Wilkie; Ursula Waverley; Alan Wheeldon; Donna Knott; Ben Greig; Mike Hopgood; David Bragg; Julie Beart; Marina Guriano; Garry Monger; Martin & Jacqui Barwell James Wicker; Rachel Burry; David and Julie Shaw; Mariah Moyses; Nadine Ridgewell  R Kirk; Peter Burbank; Jacqueline Barnett; Paul Barnett; James Kerr; Simon Parsons; Patrycja Pracowiak; Maggie Donaldson; Stefanie & Steve Millington; Jo Murfitt
Thank you for your emails regarding the proposed Medworth Energy from Waste Combined Heat and Power Facility. The proposed application by Medworth CHP Limited is at the Pre-application stage of the Planning Act 2008 (PA2008) process. Therefore, the Planning Inspectorate is unable to consider representations about the merits of any application until it is accepted for Examination. The Applicant, Medworth CHP Limited, is carrying out its Statutory Consultation between 28 June - 13 August 2021, as required by s47 of the Planning Act 2008. Details can be found on the Applicant’s website: [attachment 1] Early engagement provides the Applicant with an opportunity to resolve or reduce the impacts caused by the construction and operation of the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) in advance of submitting the application. The Applicant is under a legal duty to demonstrate that they have had regard to consultation responses at this stage, although that isn’t to say that they must agree with all of the views put to them in the responses received. Further information on responding to the Applicants consultation can be found in the Planning Inspectorate’s Advice note 8.1 [attachment 2] The deadline to respond to the Applicant’s statutory consultation is Friday 13 August 2021.

Various Enquiries

Project Update Meeting
Please see attached Meeting Note

Medworth CHP Limited

Project Update Meeting
Please see attached Meeting Note

MVV Environment Ltd

My family and I live in the small Georgian town of Wisbech and are strongly opposed to the proposal to build an incinerator in the town, 1 mile from our children's school and adding to the significant traffic problems that we already have. I look forward to receiving your answers to my questions below: Over what timescale do you expect to get to 50 megawatts? How much waste will this involve to deliver 50 megawatts? Over what timescale do they expect to get to 50 megawatts? How much waste will this involve to deliver 50 megawatts? Why is proximity to three schools and The Eye Clinic the best site given the volume of lorries, impact on air pollution, and odour concerns amongst others? Why did the developer ignore the planning inspector and issue this scoping report over the Christmas holiday period? Why has the developer failed to follow best practice in developing a proposal in consultation with the community, when consultation did not begin until Spring 2020 at which point Covid-19 hit? How many lorries a week will be required, and how far will they be travelling including from surrounding counties? Why is flood risk land suitable for a waste incinerator when the Environment Agency has raised concerns at house building on such land? What is the risk of contamination in the event of flooding? How would the incinerator plans impact on Wisbech Rail? What impact will the grid connection have on the local community, and is it part of the DCO? What land does the developer plan to compulsory purchase, on what basis, and from whom, in order to build an incinerator of the scale required for its designation as a national infrastructure project?
The proposed application by MWV Environment Ltd (the Applicant) is at the Pre-application stage of the Planning Act 2008 (PA2008) process. Therefore, the Planning Inspectorate is unable to consider representations about the merits of any application until it is accepted for Examination. The Planning Inspectorate also does not have the power to intervene in an Applicant’s pre-application programme. The process for applying for a Development Consent Order (DCO) is set out in the PA2008. The timing of the application’s programme is at the discretion of the Applicant. The Applicant is currently carrying out their first round of non-statutory consultation. Further rounds of consultation will take place and the Applicant will advertise these before they are due to commence. Therefore, I would encourage you to contact the Applicant directly with regard to your concerns. The Applicant has a statutory duty to have regard to all consultation responses received and this should be demonstrated in the Consultation Report which is part of their DCO application. However, if you feel your comments are not being taken into account, I would advise you to write to your local authority and set out why you think the Applicant is failing to conduct its consultation properly. Your comments should be taken into account when the local authority sends the Inspectorate its comments on whether the Applicant has fulfilled its consultation duties. The local authority’s comments on the Applicant’s consultation will be taken into account when the Acceptance Inspector makes their decision whether to accept the application for Examination. Should the DCO application be accepted by the Inspectorate for examination, the applicant has a duty to notify the local community when providing information on how to register as an Interested Party for the purpose of the process. The process under the PA2008 has been designed to allow members of the public and statutory stakeholders to participate in examination of all DCO applications so that anyone interested in the proposed developments, their potential impacts and any relevant matters can be fully engaged in the examination process. Once the examination begins, the Examining Authority will assess all information submitted in the application documents and will consider whether the Applicant has provided the necessary level of information. The Planning Inspectorate has produced several Advice Notes to help provide an overview of the PA2008 process and the opportunities to get involved. They are available at the following link: [attachment 1] The following are particularly relevant: Advice Note 8: ‘Overview of the nationally significant infrastructure planning process for members of the public and others’. Advice Note 8.1: ‘Responding to the developer’s pre-application consultation’ Advice Note 8.2: ‘How to register to participate in an Examination’. Please be assured that anyone interested in the proposed developments, their potential impacts and any planning matters can be fully engaged in the examination process. A copy of your correspondence has been placed on our records and will be presented to the Inspector at acceptance together with the application documents and Local Authorities’ comments on the Applicant’s consultation. With regard to the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, please refer to the Planning Inspectorate’s published guidance which will be updated as the situation develops. [attachment 2] We have also published a Frequently Asked Questions document regarding Pre-application consultation and this can be viewed on our website here: [attachment 3] Please note, in accordance with Section 51 of the PA2008, a summary of your query and our advice will be published on the project’s webpage of the National Infrastructure Website.

Lucy Moody

Project Update Meeting
Please see attached Meeting Note

MVV Environment Ltd

Please see attached.
The proposed application by MWV Environment Ltd is at the Pre-application stage of the Planning Act 2008 (PA2008) process. Therefore, the Planning Inspectorate is unable to consider representations about the merits of any application until it is accepted for Examination. The Planning Inspectorate also does not have the power to intervene in a developer’s pre-application programme. The process for applying for a Development Consent Order (DCO) is set out in the PA2008. The timing of the application’s programme is at the discretion of the Applicant. The Developer is currently carrying out their first round of non-statutory consultation. Further rounds of consultation will take place and the Developer will advertise these before they are due to commence. Therefore, I would encourage you to contact the developer directly with regard to your concerns. The developer has a statutory duty to have regard to all consultation responses received and this should be demonstrated in the Consultation Report as part of their DCO application. However, if you feel your comments are not being taken into account, I would advise you to write to your local authority and set out why you think the Applicant is failing to conduct its consultation properly. Your comments should be taken into account when the local authority sends the Inspectorate its comments on whether the Applicant has fulfilled its consultation duties. The local authority’s comments on the Applicant’s consultation will be taken into account when the Acceptance Inspector makes their decision whether to accept the application for Examination. Should the DCO application be accepted by the Inspectorate for Examination, the Applicant has a duty to notify the local community when providing information on how to register as an Interested Party for the purpose of the process. The process under the PA2008 has been designed to allow members of the public and statutory stakeholders to participate in examination of all DCO applications so that anyone interested in the proposed developments, their potential impacts and any relevant matters can be fully engaged in the examination process. Once the Examination begins, the Examining Authority will assess all information submitted in the application documents and will consider whether the Applicant has provided the necessary level of information. The Planning Inspectorate has produced several Advice Notes to help provide an overview of the PA2008 process and the opportunities to get involved. They are available at the following link: [attachment 1] The following are particularly relevant; Advice Note 8: ‘Overview of the nationally significant infrastructure planning process for members of the public and others’. Advice Note 8.1: ‘Responding to the developer’s pre-application consultation’ Advice Note 8.2: ‘How to register to participate in an Examination’. Please be assured that anyone interested in the proposed development, the potential impacts and any planning matters can be fully engaged in the examination process. A copy of your correspondence has been placed on our records and will be presented to the Inspector at Acceptance together with the application documents and Local Authorities’ comments on the Applicant’s consultation. With regard to the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, please refer to the Planning Inspectorate’s published guidance which will be updated as the situation develops. [attachment 2] We have also published a Frequently Asked Questions document regarding Pre-application consultation and this can be viewed on our website here: [attachment 3]

Sue Beel

Dear Ms Richards The above are proposing to build a 50 megawatt incinerator in our small Georgian Town of Wisbech. They are making this a national infrastructure to circumnavigate local planning and have ignored planning guidance by failing to put forward alternative sites but have put forward alternatives relating to the design and not its siting which is my understanding of what they have done. My understanding is that in my lifetime it is unlikely to be used to full capacity. This proposed site is within 200 meters of one school, 500 meters from another and 750 meters from our largest school. It meters away from residential areas. We do not need a MEGA incinerator we should be looking to recycle not encourage waste for our future generation to live a healthier life. This small market does not have the infrastructure to cope with the amount of lorries that will be descending on our town which only has single lane carriageways. Our MP Steve Barclay (who is campaigning against this Mega incinerator) and local residents have worked hard to get the railway back into this town so that local people will have better job prospects by having carbon neutral way to expanded their job opportunities in Cambridge, Norwich Peterborough ect. This proposed MEGA incinerator puts that in jeopardy. MVV Environment Ltd have no idea what dangerous items will be on the vehicles heading for the for the proposed incineration. MVV have been less than honest in regard to the downplaying of the dangers this MEGA incinerator will pose to local residents. Not just local residents but anyone eating produce from farmland which surrounds the area from the deposits of particulates coming out of its funnel. I have read the report on PM2.5 and PM10 from AQEG (Air Quality Expert Group) commissioned by DEFRA (Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs) I have cut and pasted at the bottom of this communication an important part, HEALTH that MVV are failing to bring to residents attention they have in fact gone all out to downplay the dangers by putting a leaflet through residence doors which contains a section MYTH busters, thereby totally disregarding the below report of just how dangerous the particulates exposure is. I am so shocked and appalled by this proposal and MVV’s total disregard for the health and well being of the residents of Wisbech and the surrounding area and further afield by particulates on crops they purchase. Governments are looked upon to protect the health and well being of its citizens if this proposal gets the green light they will have failed. Please think of the ramifications after reading the report below by AQEG and reject this proposal. I have not committed a crime yet MVV Environment Ltd have put a death sentence on my life. (read below) AQEG report 1.3.1 Health effects of PM2.5 10. The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) reports LongTerm Exposure to Air Pollution: Effect on Mortality (COMEAP, 2009) and The Mortality Effects of Long-Term Exposure to Particulate Air Pollution in the United Kingdom (COMEAP, 2010) provide an excellent synthesis of the current evidence on the impact of particulate matter on mortality. There is clear evidence that particulate matter has a significant contributory role in human all-cause mortality and in particular in cardiopulmonary mortality. 11. PM2.5 penetrates deeply into the human respiratory system. The acute effects of particle exposure include increases in hospital admissions and premature death of the old and sick due to diseases of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. The evidence is that both PM2.5 and PM10 cause additional hospital admissions and deaths on high pollution days. Less severe effects of short-term particle exposure also occur during pollution episodes, including worsening of asthma symptoms and even a general feeling of being unwell leading to a lower level of activity. 12. Long-term exposure to particles is associated with increased levels of fatal cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, including lung cancer, which reveal themselves as increased rates of death in cities with higher concentrations of airborne particles. COMEAP (2009) expressed the view that the best estimate of the chronic health impacts of particulate matter exposure was a 6% increase in death rates per 10 µg m-3 PM2.5 concentration. As with the acute effects of particle exposure no wholly safe level has been identified. regards B Males
Dear Ms Males, Thank you for your email of 18 April 2020 expressing concerns about the proposed Medworth Energy from Waste Combined Heat and Power Facility The proposed application by MWV Environment Ltd is at the Pre-application stage of the Planning Act 2008 (PA2008) process. Therefore, the Planning Inspectorate is unable to consider representations about the merits of any application until it is accepted for Examination. The Planning Inspectorate also does not have the power to intervene in a Developer’s pre-application programme. The process for applying for a Development Consent Order (DCO) is set out in thePA2008. The timing of the application’s programme is at the discretion of the Applicant. The Developer is currently carrying out their first round of non-statutory consultation. Further rounds of consultation will take place and the Developer will advertise these before they are due to commence. Therefore, I would encourage you to contact the developer directly with regard to your concerns. The developer has a statutory duty to have regard to all consultation responses received and this should be demonstrated in the Consultation Report as part of their DCO application. However, if you feel your comments are not being taken into account, I would advise you to write to your local authority and set out why you think the Applicant is failing to conduct its consultation properly. Your comments should be taken into account when the local authority sends the Inspectorate its comments on whether the Applicant has fulfilled its consultation duties. The local authority’s comments on the Applicant’s consultation will be taken into account when the Acceptance Inspector makes their decision whether to accept the application for Examination. Should the DCO application be accepted by the Inspectorate for examination, the applicant has a duty to notify the local community when providing information on how to register as an Interested Party for the purpose of the process. The process under the PA2008 has been designed to allow members of the public and statutory stakeholders to participate in examination of all DCO applications so that anyone interested in the proposed developments, their potential impacts and any relevant matters can be fully engaged in the examination process. Once the examination begins, the Examining Authority will assess all information submitted in the application documents and will consider whether the Applicant has provided the necessary level of information. The Planning Inspectorate has produced several Advice Notes to help provide an overview of the PA2008 process and the opportunities to get involved. They are available at the following link: [attachment 1] The following are particularly relevant: Advice Note 8: ‘Overview of the nationally significant infrastructure planning process for members of the public and others’. Advice Note 8.1: ‘Responding to the developer’s pre-application consultation’ Advice Note 8.2: ‘How to register to participate in an Examination’. Please be assured that anyone interested in the proposed developments, their potential impacts and any planning matters can be fully engaged in the examination process. A copy of your correspondence has been placed on our records and will be presented to the Inspector at acceptance together with the application documents and Local Authorities’ comments on the Applicant’s consultation. With regard to the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, please refer to the Planning Inspectorate’s published guidance which will be updated as the situation develops. [attachment 2] We have also published a Frequently Asked Questions document regarding Pre-application consultation and this can be viewed on our website here: [attachment 3] Please note, in accordance with Section 51 of the PA2008, a summary of your query and our advice will be published on the project’s webpage of the National Infrastructure Website. I hope you find the above information useful.

Beryl Males

Dear Mr Salter I have some concerns about the incinerator MVV are proposing to build in the town of Wisbech. I live here and I was born here. I would be grateful if you could answer these questions for me: 1. Over what timescale do they expect to get to 50 megawatts? 2. How much waste will this involve to deliver 50 megawatts? 3. The incinerator will have a chimney up to a massive 95 metres high. From how many miles will the incinerator be visible? 4. The incinerator will be just 200 metres from one primary school, 500 metres from another, and 750 metres from the largest secondary school in our district, Thomas Clarkson Academy. The ACIS Eye Clinic is just 350 metres away. Why is this site so close to three schools and the Eye Clinic the best site given the volume of lorries, impact on air pollution, and odour concerns amongst others? 5. Why does the scoping request fail to include valid alternative locations? 6. What alternative sites / solutions were considered? 7. What is the methodology for site selection and when will it be published in line with best practice? 8. How did it consider sensitive receptors like schools, community impact like odour and noise, and visual impact? 9. The scoping request was issued over the Christmas holiday period, yet the report reveals that “the Inspectorate queried whether the scoping request would be premature given the current stage of development”. Why did the developer ignore the inspector and issue this scoping report over the Christmas holiday period? 10. Why has the developer failed to follow best practice in developing a proposal in consultation with the community, which it does not plan to consult until Spring 2020? 11. The developer suggests the incinerator will require lorry movements 7 days a week from 6am to 7pm. Yet almost all the roads in Fenland are single carriageway. The incinerator will require over half a million tonnes of waste, with the report suggesting 523,500 tonnes a year (i) How many lorries a week will be required (ii) how far will they be travelling including from surrounding counties ? 12. The incinerator will be built on land at risk of flooding (known as Flood Risk 3). Yet the developer is silent on the risk this causes of contamination (including to drinking water), in addition to any risk of soil contamination during the construction phase. Why is flood risk land suitable for a waste incinerator when the Environment Agency has raised concerns at house building on such land? 13. What is the risk of contamination in the event of flooding? 14. Later this month the Cambridgeshire Combined Authority will publish its 15-month long report on the next phase of work for Wisbech Rail, yet the incinerator developer appears to plan to dig up the Wisbech Rail line for a Combine Heat and Power (CHP) connection. How would the incinerator plans impact on Wisbech Rail? 15. The developer suggests two proposed options for connection, a 132kv line at the Walpole substation and one joining the National Grid 400kv line to the east of Walsoken. Yet it is not clear whether these are part of the Development Consent Order (DCO). What impact will this have on the local community, and is it part of the DCO? 16. The developer says they have an option on the main site from the current owners, and that it is used for aggregate storage, but then add that compulsory acquisition may be required to obtain land outside of this main site in order to build an incinerator of the scale required for its designation as a national infrastructure project (i) What land does the developer plan to compulsory purchase? (ii) on what basis? (iii) from whom? 17. Why haven't the particles PM 2.5 been measured in the surveys and only PM 10, which are less harmful to human bodies? 18. Do you consider that MVV believes Wisbech to be a softer target than Waterbeach and King's Lynn, where incinerators have been blocked? I look forward to hearing from you. Carla Johnson
Dear Ms Johnson, Thank you for your email of 18 March 2020, regarding the proposed Medworth Energy from Waste Combined Heat and Power Facility. The proposed application by MWV Environment Ltd is at the Pre-application stage of the Planning Act 2008 (PA2008) process. Therefore, the Planning Inspectorate is unable to consider representations about the merits of any application until it is accepted for Examination. The Planning Inspectorate also does not have the power to intervene in a developer’s pre-application programme. The process for applying for a Development Consent Order (DCO) is set out in the PA2008. The timing of the application’s programme is at the discretion of the Applicant. The Developer is currently carrying out their first round of non-statutory consultation. Further rounds of consultation will take place and the Developer will advertise these before they are due to commence. Therefore, I would encourage you to contact the developer directly with regard to your concerns. The developer has a statutory duty to have regard to all consultation responses received and this should be demonstrated in the Consultation Report as part of their DCO application. However, if you feel your comments are not being taken into account, I would advise you to write to your local authority and set out why you think the Applicant is failing to conduct its consultation properly. Your comments should be taken into account when the local authority sends the Inspectorate its comments on whether the Applicant has fulfilled its consultation duties. The local authority’s comments on the Applicant’s consultation will be taken into account when the Acceptance Inspector makes their decision whether to accept the application for Examination. Should the DCO application be accepted by the Inspectorate for Examination, the Applicant has a duty to notify the local community when providing information on how to register as an Interested Party for the purpose of the process. The process under the PA2008 has been designed to allow members of the public and statutory stakeholders to participate in examination of all DCO applications so that anyone interested in the proposed developments, their potential impacts and any relevant matters can be fully engaged in the examination process. Once the Examination begins, the Examining Authority will assess all information submitted in the application documents and will consider whether the Applicant has provided the necessary level of information. The Planning Inspectorate has produced several Advice Notes to help provide an overview of the PA2008 process and the opportunities to get involved. They are available at the following link: [attachment 1] The following are particularly relevant; Advice Note 8: ‘Overview of the nationally significant infrastructure planning process for members of the public and others’. Advice Note 8.1: ‘Responding to the developer’s pre-application consultation’ Advice Note 8.2: ‘How to register to participate in an Examination’. Please be assured that anyone interested in the proposed development, the potential impacts and any planning matters can be fully engaged in the examination process. A copy of your correspondence has been placed on our records and will be presented to the Inspector at Acceptance together with the application documents and Local Authorities’ comments on the Applicant’s consultation. With regard to the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, please refer to the Planning Inspectorate’s published guidance which will be updated as the situation develops. [attachment 2] We have also published a Frequently Asked Questions document regarding Pre-application consultation and this can be viewed on our website here: [attachment 3] Please note, in accordance with Section 51 of the PA2008, a summary of your query and our advice will be published on the project’s webpage of the National Infrastructure Website. I hope you find the above information useful.

Carla Johnson

Dear Secretary of State Re: Medworth Energy from Waste Combined Heat and Power Facility [attachment 1] With the present health crisis caused by the Coronavirus pandemic all planned public consultations and community events regarding the application to build a vast incinerator in the small market town of Wisbech have been cancelled until further notice. There is significant public objection to this project and it is essential for the community to be able to meet with the Applicant and to challenge their many claims. [attachment 2] [attachment 3] The claim by the Applicant and by staff at the Inspectorate that public consultations can continue online via emails may seem reasonable in these unprecedented times but is, nevertheless, totally inappropriate for this community. Large numbers of residents in Wisbech and the surrounding villages do not use the internet, therefore the community do not accept email communication as being a ‘public consultation’ when many residents are prohibited from taking part. All concerned are very aware of the legislation that has permitted the creation of commercial incinerators in the UK, at a time when not enough evidence was known regarding the possible preventable harm and negative health implications that could be created by burning plastic and other waste materials. Therefore, given the unprecedented circumstances where the community are effectively housebound, and no community event can take place, please consider an exception to the legislation by postponing the public consultations and the eventual decision regarding this project for at least three months, or until such times as the government have deemed that public meetings and community events can safely be held. Thank you for your time. Mo Stewart Retired healthcare professional Resident of Wisbech
Dear Ms Stewart, Thank you for your email of 1 April 2020 expressing concerns about the adequacy of consultation in the current unprecedented public health situation. Please accept our sincere apologies for the delay in replying. The proposed application by MWV Environment Ltd is at the Pre-application stage of the Planning Act 2008 (PA2008) process. Therefore, the Planning Inspectorate is unable to consider representations about the merits of any application until it is accepted for Examination. The Planning Inspectorate also does not have the power to intervene in a developer’s pre-application programme. The process for applying for a Development Consent Order (DCO) is set out in the PA2008. The timing of the application’s programme is at the discretion of the Applicant. The Developer is currently carrying out their first round of non-statutory consultation. Further rounds of consultation will take place and the Developer will advertise these before they are due to commence. Therefore, I would encourage you to contact the developer directly with regard to your concerns. The developer has a statutory duty to have regard to all consultation responses received and this should be demonstrated in the Consultation Report as part of their DCO application. However, if you feel your comments are not being taken into account, I would advise you to write to your local authority and set out why you think the Applicant is failing to conduct its consultation properly. Your comments should be taken into account when the local authority sends the Inspectorate its comments on whether the Applicant has fulfilled its consultation duties. The local authority’s comments on the Applicant’s consultation will be taken into account when the Acceptance Inspector makes their decision whether to accept the application for Examination. Should the DCO application be accepted by the Inspectorate for Examination, the Applicant has a duty to notify the local community when providing information on how to register as an Interested Party for the purpose of the process. The process under the PA2008 has been designed to allow members of the public and statutory stakeholders to participate in examination of all DCO applications so that anyone interested in the proposed developments, their potential impacts and any relevant matters can be fully engaged in the examination process. Once the Examination begins, the Examining Authority will assess all information submitted in the application documents and will consider whether the Applicant has provided the necessary level of information. The Planning Inspectorate has produced several Advice Notes to help provide an overview of the PA2008 process and the opportunities to get involved. They are available at the following link: [attachment 4] The following are particularly relevant; Advice Note 8: ‘Overview of the nationally significant infrastructure planning process for members of the public and others’. Advice Note 8.1: ‘Responding to the developer’s pre-application consultation’ Advice Note 8.2: ‘How to register to participate in an Examination’. Please be assured that anyone interested in the proposed development, the potential impacts and any planning matters can be fully engaged in the examination process. A copy of your correspondence has been placed on our records and will be presented to the Inspector at Acceptance together with the application documents and Local Authorities’ comments on the Applicant’s consultation. With regard to the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, please refer to the Planning Inspectorate’s published guidance which will be updated as the situation develops. [attachment 5] We have also published a Frequently Asked Questions document regarding Pre-application consultation and this can be viewed on our website here: [attachment 6] Please note, in accordance with Section 51 of the PA2008, a summary of your query and our advice will be published on the project’s webpage of the National Infrastructure Website. I hope you find the above information useful.

Mo Stewart

On behalf of the Campaign against the proposed Wisbech Incinerator, (WisWIN - Wisbech Against Incineration) we wish to raise our grave concern that no consultation is taking place with residents and that the Planning Inspectorate are of the view that consultation via email is acceptable. Wisbech is a small rural town and many people do not have digital communication in the form of emails and social media. This is well known locally but was evident when people cued up when we held a Rally in Wisbech Market Place in February when we had a paper petition for people to sign. Over 200 people signed. We subsequently took the petition to Tesco's early in March for two hours on two occasions and we received nearly 1,000 signatures. When checking with residents to ensure they hadn't already signed our MP's petition, many people confirmed they had no computer. We are therefore asking for a delay and have also written to the Leader of Cambs County Council and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mayor raising our concerns and asking for them to request a deferment. We appreciate that there are legal time limits but in this unprecedented time because of the Coronavirus epidemic, this seems a reasonable request.
Thank you for your email of 29 March 2020 expressing concerns about the adequacy of consultation in the current unprecedented public health situation. Please accept our sincere apologies for the delay in replying. As you are aware, the proposed application by MWV Environment Ltd is at the Pre-application stage of the Planning Act 2008 (PA2008) process. Therefore, the Planning Inspectorate is unable to consider representations about the merits of any application until it is accepted for Examination. The Planning Inspectorate also does not have the power to intervene in a Developer’s pre-application programme. The process for applying for a Development Consent Order (DCO) is set out in thePA2008. The timing of the application’s programme is at the discretion of the Applicant. The Developer is currently carrying out their first round of non-statutory consultation. Further rounds of consultation will take place and the developer will advertise these before they are due to commence. Therefore, I would encourage you to contact the developer directly with regard to your concerns. The developer has a statutory duty to have regard to all consultation responses received and this should be demonstrated in the Consultation Report as part of their DCO application. However, if you feel your comments are not being taken into account, I would advise you to write to your local authority and set out why you think the Applicant is failing to conduct its consultation properly. Your comments should be taken into account when the local authority sends the Inspectorate its comments on whether the Applicant has fulfilled its consultation duties. The local authority’s comments on the Applicant’s consultation will be taken into account when the Acceptance Inspector makes their decision whether to accept the application for Examination. Should the DCO application be accepted by the Inspectorate for examination, the applicant has a duty to notify the local community when providing information on how to register as an Interested Party for the purpose of the process. The process under the PA2008 has been designed to allow members of the public and statutory stakeholders to participate in examination of all DCO applications so that anyone interested in the proposed developments, their potential impacts and any relevant matters can be fully engaged in the examination process. Once the examination begins, the Examining Authority will assess all information submitted in the application documents and will consider whether the Applicant has provided the necessary level of information. The Planning Inspectorate has produced several Advice Notes to help provide an overview of the PA2008 process and the opportunities to get involved. They are available at the following link: [attachment 1] The following are particularly relevant: Advice Note 8: ‘Overview of the nationally significant infrastructure planning process for members of the public and others’. Advice Note 8.1: ‘Responding to the developer’s pre-application consultation’ Advice Note 8.2: ‘How to register to participate in an Examination’. Please be assured that anyone interested in the proposed developments, their potential impacts and any planning matters can be fully engaged in the examination process. A copy of your correspondence has been placed on our records and will be presented to the Inspector at acceptance together with the application documents and Local Authorities’ comments on the Applicant’s consultation. With regard to the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, please refer to the Planning Inspectorate’s published guidance which will be updated as the situation develops. [attachment 2] We have also published a Frequently Asked Questions document regarding Pre-application consultation and this can be viewed on our website here: [attachment 3]

WisWIN - Wisbech Against Incineration - Virginia Bucknor

Dear Mr Salter I have some concerns about the incinerator MVV are proposing to build in the town of Wisbech. I live here and I was born here. I would be grateful if you could answer these questions for me: 1. Over what timescale do they expect to get to 50 megawatts? 2. How much waste will this involve to deliver 50 megawatts? 3. The incinerator will have a chimney up to a massive 95 metres high. From how many miles will the incinerator be visible? 4. The incinerator will be just 200 metres from one primary school, 500 metres from another, and 750 metres from the largest secondary school in our district, Thomas Clarkson Academy. The ACIS Eye Clinic is just 350 metres away. Why is this site so close to three schools and the Eye Clinic the best site given the volume of lorries, impact on air pollution, and odour concerns amongst others? 5. Why does the scoping request fail to include valid alternative locations? 6. What alternative sites / solutions were considered? 7. What is the methodology for site selection and when will it be published in line with best practice? 8. How did it consider sensitive receptors like schools, community impact like odour and noise, and visual impact? 9. The scoping request was issued over the Christmas holiday period, yet the report reveals that “the Inspectorate queried whether the scoping request would be premature given the current stage of development”. Why did the developer ignore the inspector and issue this scoping report over the Christmas holiday period? 10. Why has the developer failed to follow best practice in developing a proposal in consultation with the community, which it does not plan to consult until Spring 2020? 11. The developer suggests the incinerator will require lorry movements 7 days a week from 6am to 7pm. Yet almost all the roads in Fenland are single carriageway. The incinerator will require over half a million tonnes of waste, with the report suggesting 523,500 tonnes a year (i) How many lorries a week will be required (ii) how far will they be travelling including from surrounding counties ? 12. The incinerator will be built on land at risk of flooding (known as Flood Risk 3). Yet the developer is silent on the risk this causes of contamination (including to drinking water), in addition to any risk of soil contamination during the construction phase. Why is flood risk land suitable for a waste incinerator when the Environment Agency has raised concerns at house building on such land? 13. What is the risk of contamination in the event of flooding? 14. Later this month the Cambridgeshire Combined Authority will publish its 15-month long report on the next phase of work for Wisbech Rail, yet the incinerator developer appears to plan to dig up the Wisbech Rail line for a Combine Heat and Power (CHP) connection. How would the incinerator plans impact on Wisbech Rail? 15. The developer suggests two proposed options for connection, a 132kv line at the Walpole substation and one joining the National Grid 400kv line to the east of Walsoken. Yet it is not clear whether these are part of the Development Consent Order (DCO). What impact will this have on the local community, and is it part of the DCO? 16. The developer says they have an option on the main site from the current owners, and that it is used for aggregate storage, but then add that compulsory acquisition may be required to obtain land outside of this main site in order to build an incinerator of the scale required for its designation as a national infrastructure project (i) What land does the developer plan to compulsory purchase? (ii) on what basis? (iii) from whom? 17. How does this fit in with the government target of eliminating greenhouses gases by 2050? I look forward to hearing from you. David Hammond
Dear Mr Hammond, Thank you for your email of 21 March 2020, regarding the proposed Medworth Energy from Waste Combined Heat and Power Facility. The proposed application by MWV Environment Ltd is at the Pre-application stage of the Planning Act 2008 (PA2008) process. Therefore, the Planning Inspectorate is unable to consider representations about the merits of any application until it is accepted for Examination. The Planning Inspectorate also does not have the power to intervene in a developer’s pre-application programme. The process for applying for a Development Consent Order (DCO) is set out in the PA2008. The timing of the application’s programme is at the discretion of the Applicant. The Developer is currently carrying out their first round of non-statutory consultation. Further rounds of consultation will take place and the Developer will advertise these before they are due to commence. Therefore, I would encourage you to contact the developer directly with regard to your concerns. The developer has a statutory duty to have regard to all consultation responses received and this should be demonstrated in the Consultation Report as part of their DCO application. However, if you feel your comments are not being taken into account, I would advise you to write to your local authority and set out why you think the Applicant is failing to conduct its consultation properly. Your comments should be taken into account when the local authority sends the Inspectorate its comments on whether the Applicant has fulfilled its consultation duties. The local authority’s comments on the Applicant’s consultation will be taken into account when the Acceptance Inspector makes their decision whether to accept the application for Examination. Should the DCO application be accepted by the Inspectorate for Examination, the Applicant has a duty to notify the local community when providing information on how to register as an Interested Party for the purpose of the process. The process under the PA2008 has been designed to allow members of the public and statutory stakeholders to participate in examination of all DCO applications so that anyone interested in the proposed developments, their potential impacts and any relevant matters can be fully engaged in the examination process. Once the Examination begins, the Examining Authority will assess all information submitted in the application documents and will consider whether the Applicant has provided the necessary level of information. The Planning Inspectorate has produced several Advice Notes to help provide an overview of the PA2008 process and the opportunities to get involved. They are available at the following link: [attachment 1] The following are particularly relevant; Advice Note 8: ‘Overview of the nationally significant infrastructure planning process for members of the public and others’. Advice Note 8.1: ‘Responding to the developer’s pre-application consultation’ Advice Note 8.2: ‘How to register to participate in an Examination’. Please be assured that anyone interested in the proposed development, the potential impacts and any planning matters can be fully engaged in the examination process. A copy of your correspondence has been placed on our records and will be presented to the Inspector at Acceptance together with the application documents and Local Authorities’ comments on the Applicant’s consultation. With regard to the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, please refer to the Planning Inspectorate’s published guidance which will be updated as the situation develops. [attachment 2] We have also published a Frequently Asked Questions document regarding Pre-application consultation and this can be viewed on our website here: [attachment 3] Please note, in accordance with Section 51 of the PA2008, a summary of your query and our advice will be published on the project’s webpage of the National Infrastructure Website. I hope you find the above information useful.

David Hammond

REF: Response to Scoping Opinion Proposed Medworth Energy from Waste Combined Heat and Power Facility (Wisbech) EN010110 [attachment 1] Can you please confirm that the public response to the above published Scoping Opinion is required by the end of March.
In light of your concerns I have contacted the Applicant to fully understand their consultation processes and changes they have made in response to the Governments approach the coronavirus pandemic. As you are aware the public consultation events for Medworth have been cancelled, however, the public consultation itself is still underway. It was launched on 16th March and is currently proposed to run until Monday 4th May. I think perhaps this may be where the mix up regarding consultation on the Scoping Opinion may have come from. The Applicant has information regarding the proposals on their website – [attachment 2]. You can raise your concerns, including those you have on the Scoping Opinion, using the ‘general enquiry form’ here [attachment 3]. Alternatively you can email [email protected] or call 01945 232 231. Furthermore if you have comments regarding the consultation itself you may provide feedback here [attachment 3] using the ‘consultation feedback form’ tab, or in hard copy to ‘Freepost MVV’. All consultation feedback will be reviewed and considered as the project progresses. The Applicant will continue to review the coronavirus situation in relation to their ability to hold community events. Engaging with affected communities is their key priority and they will assess how and when events can be held as the situation progresses.

Mo Stewart

Project Inception Meeting
Please see attached Meeting Note

MVV Environment Ltd