PLANS have been lodged for a Poole waste services plant, which could see the reduction of 6,000 tonnes of waste sent to landfill every year.

FDS Waste Services, Mannings Heath Road, want to install a thermal treatment unit within an existing shed at their plant.

A planning, design and access statement, prepared for Union4 Planning on behalf of FDS, explains the Mannings Heath Road site currently receives around 30,000 tonnes of waste per annum, which is screened and sorted into different groups before being "exported off site."

This document, sent to BCP Council as part of the planning process, explained: "The proposed development comprises a small-scale thermal treatment unit for the processing of existing waste streams imported to the site.

"The applicant is proposing that up to 6,000 tonnes of waste per annum will be processed through the thermal treatment unit.

"The waste in question is currently sent to landfill."

The report also states that overall "annual throughput imported to the site" would remain unchanged at approximately 30,000 tonnes per year.

If agreed, the new thermal treatment unit will be installed within the existing steel shed near the entrance to the FDS site.

The unit will produce electricity and heat, to be used on site by FDS, reducing the company's reliance on the National Grid, says the report.

Presently, the facility relies on three diesel-powered generators, which would no longer be needed if the thermal treatment plans are nodded through.

The statement also explained: "The planning assessment is also supported by an air quality assessment, which considers the potential impact of emissions to atmosphere from the proposed thermal treatment unit on nitrogen deposition rates, nitrogen oxides and sulpher dioxide concentrations, at designated sites in the locality, specifically Canford Heath Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Bourne Valley SSSI.

"The air quality therefore concludes that the proposed thermal treatment unit will not lead to any significant impacts upon nearby designated sites."