Stanstead airport extension gets go ahead

Plans for the extension of Stanstead Airport have got the go-ahead despite the concerns of local residents.

The Essex airport will see passenger numbers increase by 10 million a year from the current level of 25 million, with the number of flights going up by over 20,000 annually.

Many in the local area have citied the environment and noise pollution as two reasons why the plans should be scrapped.

Stewart Wingate, managing director at Stanstead said: "We are naturally delighted that the Secretaries of State have granted permission for the next phase of growth at Stanstead."

However Uttlesford District Council leader Jim Ketteridge said that the decision was a blow for the local community.

"Residents already find the level of aircraft noise extremely disturbing and allowing BAA to increase the amount of air traffic marks a further erosion of our quality of life."

Mr Ketteridge’s views were backed by Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Norman Baker who said it showed "that the government is in the pocket of the aviation industry".

Suffolk companies shorlisted for waste treatment

A shortlist of four companies that will compete for a £602 million waste treatment contract has been finalised by Suffolk county council.

A total of 40 separate organisations have bid for the opportunity to have the contract.

The final four are Shanks Group, SITA Uk, Veolia Environmental Services and Waste Recycling Group.

The company that secures the contract will have to provide Suffolk county council with a solution to treat 250,000 tonnes of waste a year.

Councillor Eddy Alcock said: "I am delighted that this contract has been so enthusiastically received by the private sector.

"I believe this interest reflects the excellent reputation of the county council within the waste industry.

"This confidence in Suffolk echoes the confidence of central government, which has agreed a subsidy of £102 million towards its waste treatment facility."

Detailed solutions for the waste treatment are now expected from the council by March 2009, with a final decision by August 2010 and a facility being launched in 2014.

Controversial environment official moves jobs

An official who cut the Environment Agency’s plan to build flood defences in Suffolk has moved to a new job.

Dr Charles Beardall is now to become the regional flood and coastal risk manager for the east of England having been moved from his job as the Environment Agency’s area manager for Suffolk Norfolk and Essex.

The plans for a defence along the Blyth Estuary were said to be not economically or environmentally viable by Dr Beardall.

He blamed sea level rises due to climate change and increasing tidal surges as the reason behind his controversial decision, EADT.co.uk said.

Dr Beardall will now be responsible for co-ordinating inland and coastal flood management systems on an initial assignment of 12 months.

The agency has recently seen a widening of its responsibilities from just cliff fringed areas of the coast and low-lying stretches to the entire coastal strategy.

Lowestoft and Yarmouth have both seen significant floods in past years, as have other areas in Suffolk.

Year long study on dredging in Norfolk and Suffolk to take place

A year-long study is to take place into the effect of dredging on the Suffolk and Norfolk coast in respect to fishing and coastal erosion.

The Anglian Offshore Dredging Association (AODA), which represents five of the UK’s largest dredging companies, will look at the effects as it is about to renew its sand extraction license in the next six years.

Robert Langman, a coordinator at AODA said: "Although each individual environmental impact assessment has considered all the regional impacts in the past, this is the first time the potential impacts of offshore dredging and the cumulative impacts it may have with other sea users have been studied.

"We hope our pro-active approach will help manage this workload for the regulator, its advisors, stakeholders and the industry and will ensure that all issues are addressed in a robust manner."

As well as fishing and coastal erosion, the study will also look into the effect on offshore windfarms.

Children to learn about waste through puppets

A puppet show that will teach children how to reduce the amount of things they throw away is being launched in Cambridgeshire.

Nine schools are taking part in the project, called Happy Bin by its creators.

Shows will run for six weeks, and pupils will weigh the amount of waste their schools throw away and put the information on a database on the internet.

Kirsty Martin from Peterborough City Council’s community engagement team said: "This is the start of a three year programme of activities aimed at reducing the waste we all produce.

"We will be working with community groups and charities to promote the reuse of materials, to reduce food waste and to encourage people to use fabric shopping bags.

"These measures alone have the potential to reduce waste by up to 7.5 per cent."

The show is promoted by Recycling in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough with the support of waste management company Donarbon.

Coucil sets up Waste-Free Week challenge

A challenge is being set up in Norfolk to see if people can reduce the amount of waste they throw away.

Councils in the county are asking for volunteers to take part in a "Waste-Free Week" challenge between October 27th and November 2nd.

It is hoped that the scheme, organised by the Norfolk Waste Partnership will make people think about the waste they are throwing away.

Barry Coleman, leader of Yarmouth Borough Council and chairman of the Norfolk Waste Partnership said: "People in Norfolk are already recycling more than a third of their rubbish, but so much of what we buy is still being wasted.

"We hope that taking the challenge will really open people’s eyes to the sorts of things they buy and throw away every day.

"It should also help us discover new ways to save money by simply being less wasteful."

A guidance pack is available to those thinking of taking part, which contains useful hints and tips on how to be less wasteful and how to prepare for the week.

Suffolk composter to create electricity through waste

A composting site near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk is going to use rubbish to create electricity for the area.

Greenview Environmental will use the 26,000 tons of waste collected from St Edmundsbury and Forest Heath to create compost and electricity.

According to EADT24, the system uses green waste from kitchens and gardens which can be fed through an "anaerobic digester" which creates electricity.

A spokeswoman for St Edmundsbury Borough Council said: "Last year approximately 12,600 tonnes was sent for composting.

"All of the material collected from the brown bins in St Edmundsbury Borough Council is composted by Greenview."

It is hoped that the site could generate between one and three megawatts of electricity which will be sold on to the National Grid.

The energy produced will be approximately the same as an onshore wind turbine, although like wind technology it is reliant on the amount of compost that is sent to them by the local area, which in turn is dependent on the climate.

Norfolk school uses wind turbine

A Norfolk school is using wind-turbine to boost its eco credentials and provide electricity.

Because of the small size of St Andrews Primary School in North Pickenham - it only has 68 pupils – all the school’s lights are now powered by the turbine.

Jeni Barnacle, head teacher at the school, said: "The turbine has only been running for a couple of days and it has already produced 40kw of power.

"It will do our lights during school time and when we are closed it will go back into the grid and help save on our energy bills."

The nine-metre high turbine was donated to the school by Enertrag, a renewable energy company.

It is not the only eco-friendly measure being taken by the school, according to EDP24, as they are planning an environmentally friendly straw bale classroom.

Ms Barnacle added that she believed in "nurturing" the children and the environment.

In a recent Ofsted report the school was noted as good in every category.