A PUBLIC consultation is being held over the environmental impact of a planned waste incinerator in Carlisle.

Fortum Carlisle Ltd has applied to for an environmental permit to operate the facility, near Kingmoor Park Industrial Estate, to burn up to 274,000 tonnes a year of Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) to produce electricity and heat.

Planning permission has already been granted for the controversial development, despite objections from those living on the Lowry Hill housing estate.

The Environment Agency is now seeking views on the company’s application from the local community and interested groups.

It said information received during the consultation will be used to help determine the application as part of a detailed and rigorous assessment of the proposed operation and a permit will only be issued if "the operator demonstrates that it meets all legal requirements of the Environment Permitting Regulations and that the facility will be operated in a way that provides a high level of protection of the environment and human health."

John Neville, area environment manager at the Environment Agency, said: “Our officers have the specialist knowledge and skills that are required to regulate waste facilities and minimise the impact of these sites on people and the environment. We do not permit activities that pose an unacceptable risk.

“We will now assess the proposals to ensure they meet our strict requirements and we welcome comments from the public and interested groups on local environmental factors that people feel are important.”

The consultation runs until October 19, with documents available to view online at consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/psc/ca6-4se-fortum-carlisle-limited.

Comments can be made online or emailed to pscpublicresponse@environment-agency.gov.uk.

Anyone unable to comment online or by email can ring the Environment Agency's National Customer Contact Centre on 03708 506 506.