Mitcham eco-park

Background

SITA UK runs a waste management site at Benedict Wharf, Mitcham, South London. The site includes:

• Waste transfer station handling 223,000 tonnes of waste per year
• Materials recycling facility handling 23,000 tonnes per year
• Transport depot
• Maintenance workshops
• Redundant ink works

Planning application

In October 2008, SITA UK submitted a planning application to redevelop the site and transform it into a modern eco-park. The planning application includes:

• The development of an anaerobic digestion facility (AD) and in-vessel composting facility (IVC), which will process up to 100,000 tonnes of waste per year, comprising 80,000 tonnes of food waste and 20,000 tonnes of green waste.
• An extension to the existing materials recycling facility (MRF), which when extended, will be capable of sorting up to 80,000 tonnes of mixed recyclable material.
• A waste bulking / transfer facility for the management of up to 40,000 tonnes per year of pre-sorted recyclable material (including plastics, glass, textiles etc).
• The development of an education and visitor centre with a landscaped roof garden, to increase awareness of sustainable waste management.

Benefits

The new site would transform a dated facility into a modern eco-park. The new facility is being described as an eco-park because all the waste management activity proposed for the site is sustainable and education for members of the public would play a key role in the development. The new site would also treat waste sustainably, within the capital, where there are a limited number of sites available. SITA UK is also proposing a number of improvements around the boundary of the site to improve the area for local residents.

Public exhibition

SITA UK has held three rounds of public exhibitions for local stakeholders and members of the public to find out more about the plans. View the exhibition boards displayed at the public exhibition.