THE decision on a major planning application for a new incinerator has been deferred following legal concerns. 

More than 230 people wrote to the council to object to the plans for the waste combined heat and power facility at Canford Resource Park. 

The site, off Magna Road, Poole, is already an active waste management site, which includes closed landfill and waste processing facilities. 

Council case officer Gareth Ball said in a report ahead of the western planning committee that the project should go ahead, with the condition that after 40 years the building is removed from the land. 

Council case officer Gareth BallCouncil case officer Gareth Ball (Image: BCP Council)

But at the meeting on Thursday, September 12, Mr Ball told councillors that officers “have received a number of new third party representations” following the publishing of the report. 

He added there had been “various issues within the legality” in reaching a decision when the meeting was called. 

Mr Ball said: “Officers have not had sufficient time to provide members with the full and robust consideration of the new matters raised. 

“The responses in part raises procedures relating to the availability of relevant documents online. Officers want to ensure any decision on any application is legally sound and fair to all parties. 

“In light of this, officers request that the committee item is deferred from the current planning committee.” 

Planning committee chair Marion Le Poidevin said a KC had been in touch to say that it is “unsafe for us to consider” and recommended the deferral. 

Resident Frank Ahern, who was to speak at the meeting, said the deferral now gives the council “a fig leaf to cover the embarrassing fiasco of this application”. 

He said: “Magwatch members will be delighted with the outcome of today. Many had written in calling for deferral.  

“The whole process for this application was flawed and incomplete, with important documents missing, others uploaded after the deadline and backdated to give the false impression they were published earlier.  

“Legal advice from a top London KC suggested that to proceed with the application would be unlawful at this stage, so really BCP had no alternative.” 

The proposals will now be discussed and decided on at a later, unspecified date.