£240m Mallusk incinerator proposal update sought by Mid and East Antrim Council

The local authority which is one of six Northern Ireland councils which are represented by arc21, an umbrella waste management group, will be asking for a presentation following the recent BBC ‘Spotlight’ programme,

arc21 works on behalf of its partner councils to “guide, support and help them deliver their statutory waste management obligations and drive forward innovative waste management programmes, including developing infrastructure”.

The programme has claimed that Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council wants to withdraw from a proposed multi-million residual waste incinerator plan earmarked for Boghill Road in the council area.

The proposed incinerator includes mechanical and biological treatment, energy from waste thermal treatment and incinerator bottom ash treatment facilities, plus a refuse derived fuel bale storage building and an administration/visitor centre.

Following the collapse of the Assembly, the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) announced in September 2017 that full planning permission had been granted for the waste disposal facility at the Hightown Quarry site. However, the Court of Appeal subsequently ruled that Stormont officials did not have the legal authority to grant such permission.

Speaking at a meeting of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Direct Services Committee on Tuesday evening, Deputy Mayor Councillor Matthew Armstrong said that some of the issues raised in the Spotlight programme were “concerning”.

He commented that there is “not an overly great reporting system” back from members on arc21.

“There is not a great deal of feedback,” he noted.

“I would like to have an independent assessment of the content of that programme. There are answers to be had,” he claimed.

Braid DUP Cllr Beth Adger MBE said: “I used to sit on arc21.  arc21 do good work.” She suggested that reports should be brought back to the council.

Bannside DUP Alderman Tommy Nicholl MBE commented: “arc21 is a project I am very much interested in. There were no communication problems when Cllr Adger was representative for the council.”

He continued: “There is a communication problem. Members on the committee should be bringing back reports from different meetings.”

He suggested that the council contacts the acting chief executive of arc21 and ask him to meet the Direct Services Committee.

Carrickfergus Alliance Cllr Lauren Gray suggested that the chief executive of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council gives her view.

A spokesperson for Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council said: “The matters which you refer to are confidential and commercially sensitive and therefore the council is unable to provide a comment at this time.”

Direct Services Committee chairman Knockagh Ald Noel Williams said he would be “reluctant” to ask Antrim and Newtownabbey to attend.

A Mid and East Antrim officer told the meeting that the local authority (MEA) is “inextricably linked to the project”.

“The council has committed to the project. It would be very difficult to do anything else,” he explained.

He proceeded to say that he could invite arc21 acting chief executive Tim Walker to give a presentation to members. “We can get independent responses rather than involve another local authority.”

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter