Junior Minister Rushanara Ali has approved the controversial waste-to-energy plant proposal at Portland Port on behalf of the Secretary of State, following a recommendation from a planning inspector to grant the appeal and approve planning permission.
The initial proposal had been rejected by Dorset Council, leading to an appeal and a public inquiry.
Minister Ali agreed with the inspector’s assessment that the incinerator would “not appear out of scale or out of place” and would have “no injurious effect” on the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, nor would it be an “injurious presence” when viewed from the Royal Navy Cemetery. She also noted that the project’s ability to power cruise liners directly through shore power, bypassing the grid, would give Portland a “competitive advantage over other ports.”
Addressing concerns about increased HGV traffic, Ali stated that it “would not have any significant impact in terms of highway safety or living conditions.”
The minister also emphasised that burning residual waste at this location would lead to “lower carbon emissions” compared to the current practice of partially sending waste to landfills and incinerating it outside the Waste Plan area, reducing waste miles. Additionally, the plant could offer future capacity for carbon capture.
Ali further concluded that the proposal would not cause “detrimental health impacts” nor harm biodiversity on land, sea, or water quality.
She highlighted that the project would create jobs during the construction phase and offer “opportunities for local residents.” The plant would also improve Portland’s limited electricity supply by generating power locally. According to her, the public benefits of the proposal outweigh the “less than substantial” harm to heritage assets, and she deemed the balance favorable to the project.
Developer Powerfuel has been pushing for the £100 million plant at Portland Port since November 2019, facing fierce opposition from local residents and councils due to health concerns. More than 3,360 objections were filed by members of the public, along with opposition from Portland Town Council and Weymouth Town Council.
Residents raised their concerns during a public inquiry in 2023. In her final report, Ali acknowledged the benefits of job creation, electricity generation, shore power provision, and potential carbon reduction. However, she also weighed the “less than substantial” heritage harm to the Dockyard Offices, which carried significant weight, and the perceived health risks, which she considered to carry limited weight.
Reacting to the decision that Secretary of State has made the decision to grant planning permission for the incinerator at Portland, the Chair of Portland Town Council, Cllr Sue Cocking and the Mayor of Weymouth, Cllr Jon Orrell have issued the following joint statement:
“Both Portland and Weymouth Town Councils are shocked and disappointed that despite repeated opposition and numerous concerns raised by both Councils, local groups, and residents, the planning permission for the development of an energy recovery facility (waste incinerator) at Portland Port, Castletown has been granted.
“Both Councils stand by their objections due to traffic generation, pollution risks to both the environment and people, and visual impacts to the world-renowned Jurassic Coast.”