Councils consider binning waste treatment centre

Two councils in Derbyshire could "decommission and dispose of" a waste treatment centre after failing to find an operator for the site.

The Sinfin Waste Treatment Centre in Derby has never been used after it failed initial testing in 2017, and talks earlier this year were unable to find anyone to take on management of the project.

Derby City Council and Derbyshire County Council, which jointly own the site, said a "comprehensive review" found getting rid of the rubbish incinerator would be "the best option to protect the interests of council taxpayers".

The authorities said the scheme had cost them a combined £147.33m to date.

The councils' respective cabinets will meet on 23 September to consider the proposals.

The waste plant was supposed to divert 190,000 tonnes of rubbish per year away from landfill sites, heat-treating it to produce gas that would create enough electricity to power 14,000 homes.

It was mothballed in 2019, and in 2023 the councils reached a settlement with the administrators of the firm behind the project, which saw them agree to pay out £93.5m.

Plans to operate the waste treatment facility then stalled after Derbyshire County Council issued an invoice to Derby City Council in January 2024, for £93.9m plus VAT to recover its share of costs, which the city council disputed.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the dispute was later resolved.

However, a review was launched in May following the failure this year to find anyone to take on a contract.

In a joint statement, county council leader Alan Graves and city council leader Nadine Peatfield said they both "inherited circumstances which were not of our making", and found abandoning the previous plans was the best solution for residents.

"This project has a long history spanning two decades and while our personal scepticism towards the project is long-standing and publicly known, since taking over the councils in 2024 and 2025 respectively, our focus has been on taking a measured and evidence-led approach," they said.

"The councils have considered every realistic option, and based on robust evidence, the recommendation reflects the need to minimise future risk and costs while continuing to secure reliable arrangements for treating Derby and Derbyshire's waste.

"Our focus has always been on making sure that the future use of public funds provides value for money for residents, and the review suggests further commitment to the project can no longer be justified on commercial, financial or risk grounds."

Both leaders said people in Derbyshire "will not see any disruption to waste disposal services", with alternative arrangements in place since 2019 able to cope with "all potential outcomes".

Baggy Shanker, Labour MP for Derby South and former Derby City Council leader, told BBC Radio Derby: "Right from the beginning, along with the local community, we said this was the wrong place and the wrong technology, and that's been proven right over the last almost two decades and £150m later.

"It's really sad. This isn't a moment for celebration, it's a moment to draw a line under a project that should never really have happened.

"We need to give our communities the peace of mind that this is done and dusted once and for all."

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