A BUILDING and renovation company has objected to plans to build a thermal waste treatment plant on an industrial estate.

DPS Process Solutions (DPS) Limited wants to install two 15.5 metre-high stainless steel chimneys at Severn Bridge Industrial Estate in Portskewett which would treat up to 20,000 tonnes of material per year.

As the Argus previously reported, more than 150 objections have been lodged since the plans were submitted on June 8.

Now, Beacon Estates Chepstow Limited has become one of the latest to oppose the idea, raising concerns over the impact of the plant.

In a letter of objection, Julie Hayward, the estates manager at Beacon Estates Ltd, said: “There is a serious concern over the air quality, pollution and odour that any waste plant incineration would produce.

“There are many businesses operating on the estate, and therefore people, that air pollution would affect on a daily basis.

“In today’s economic uncertainty, it is difficult to attract new tenants without having an incinerating plant operating next door producing potentially dangerous products.”

The estates manager has also raised concerns about the impact of the plant on the free flowing movement of traffic on the industrial estate. She added that the visual impact of flue stack would be “detrimental” to the estate.

“As a mere minimum, there needs to be impact reports on the air pollution, waste materials to be incinerated and thermally treated, noise pollution, a full traffic survey, visual impact and a full economic survey on the impact to the surrounding area,” she said.

DPS Process Solutions has stressed that the plant would not be an “incinerator”. The Bristol-based company say it would involve a thermal treatment process which does not involve incineration.

But many residents have said they are concerned about the proposed plant’s close proximity to residential areas. Public meetings and protests have been held, with objections also coming from MPs including Jessica Morden, MP for Newport East, and Monmouth MP David Davies.

The former Tata Steel site is currently used by DPS as a commercial research and development centre. Storage containers would also be built under the plans.