Request for information on Borough scrutiny of the North London Heat and Power Project

Thank you for your request of 8 January 2022, regarding the information above. This request is being handled under the Environmental Information Regulations (EiR) 2004 and has been allocated the reference number 2022-163.

You asked the following questions:

At the NLWA meeting of the 16th dec 2021 Jenny Rowlands, Clerk to the NLWA stated that the proposal to proceed with the Edmonton EfW plant had been scrutinised at length in each town hall. Please provide information about and links to these formal approvals for each of the seven boroughs with dates to show whether these were before or after the full terms of the Acciona tender were known to the councils.

North London Waste Authority’s (NLWA) response:

During the Authority Meeting on 16 December Jenny Rowlands, Clerk to NLWA stated; “the decision had been scrutinised at length here in public meetings and in your own relevant town halls” when announcing the agenda item for the Energy Recovery Facility Procurement. This wording related to the fact that the information provided to Members was also provided to borough officers and Members were able to use resources within their own boroughs to assure themselves of the case for approving the contract award for construction of the energy recovery facility.

Your inquiry refers to “formal approvals” being given by boroughs. The contract for the energy recovery facility is between the North London Waste Authority and Acciona SA. Therefore only the approval of Members of the contracting authority was required for contract award. No approvals were required from individual boroughs who are not parties to the contract. That said the plan for delivery of new integrated waste assets under the North London Heat and Power Project has been in progress for six years since the Development Consent Order application was submitted in 2015, with regular sharing of information to boroughs and public.

Recognising that there is a degree of interest in the project, officers have – with the approval of Authority Members – responded to requests to provide information and updates for borough scrutiny committees. Examples of this include:

Islington Environment and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee, 29 June 2020
Camden Culture and Environment Scrutiny Committee, 16 November 2020
Enfield Environment Forum, 25 November 2020
Camden Culture and Environment Scrutiny Committee, 22 March 2021
Haringey Environment and Community Safety Scrutiny Committee, 11 November 2021
Islington Environment and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee, 30 November 2021