Giles Frampton, Director Powerfuel Portland Limited, said:
“Powerfuel Portland welcomes the ruling of Mrs Justice Lang DBE. This legal challenge was not related to the planning merits of the project or the environmental effects – these had been previously assessed and approved by the Secretary of State and the Environment Agency.
“Instead, it was a technical legal claim that the Secretary of State had not provided sufficient justification for her decision. Dorset Council did not participate as it had received legal advice that it would likely fail and concluded the use of public money would be unjustifiable. The Stop Portland Waste Incinerator (SPWI) group presumably received similar legal advice but elected to continue anyway, using funds raised from a public campaign. The judgment is clear that there was no legal basis for any challenge, awards the maximum level of costs to the defendants and denies SPWI any permission to appeal.
“The Portland Energy Recovery Facility will meet the treatment capacity shortage identified in Dorset’s approved Waste Plan. This will allow Dorset to manage its own waste and not rely on facilities in other regions or in Europe. We hope to now work constructively with stakeholders including Dorset Council to ensure the benefits of this project are delivered.”