Beddington Energy Recovery Facility permit variation decision – statement

The Environment Agency (EA) has today (3 June 2026) announced that it has approved an application by Viridor (operator of the Beddington Energy Recovery Facility) to treat 10% more waste at the plant.

In response, a spokesperson for the South London Waste Partnership said:

“We are very disappointed that the Environment Agency (EA) has reached the decision to grant Viridor permission to treat ten percent more waste at the Beddington Energy Recovery Facility (ERF).

“The South London Waste Partnership (SLWP) submitted written representations and met with senior officers from the EA during the consultation period to set out our objections to Viridor’s application, along with supporting evidence. Our concerns centred around Viridor’s ability to handle the increased volumes of waste (on what is a very constrained site) whilst maintaining acceptable operational standards, along with historic issues around permit compliance.  

“We will now carefully review the EA’s Decision Document to ensure our concerns have been addressed and we have received the reassurances we require. 

“We call on the EA and Viridor to work with local communities to ensure they understand how and why this decision has been reached and what the change will mean for day-to-day operations at the site.  

“The contract the SLWP boroughs hold with Viridor (to treat the partner boroughs’ non-recyclable waste) is unaffected by this permit variation decision. We remain confident that the Beddington ERF offers the boroughs a safe, environmentally sustainable and cost-effective alternative to landfill.”   

Ends.