Jim told the BBC: “Certainly since the incinerator started up, things have got considerably worse.”
He described seeing large amounts of dust that he said was new to the area. “Obviously dust is fine particles. Most of it is in the air, but some of it will land on your windowsill,” he said.
His concerns have deepened since the EA granted the site permission to process about 10% more waste each year, around 35,000 tonnes, taking the annual limit to 382,286 tonnes.
“I do worry about it a lot,” he said. “I’m furious that they’ve brought about this new increase. That’s 10% more rubbish that we’ll be breathing in.”
Sutton Council said it had not welcomed the increase, and called on the EA and the government to “answer the very real concerns of the community and explain this terrible decision”. It pointed out a school also sits about 700m from the incinerator’s chimneys.
Christopher Woolmer, chair of the council’s environment committee, said he was “deeply disappointed” by the decision, which the council had consistently opposed.
He said the authority formally objected last year, arguing the site lacked the capacity to process the proposed volume and raising concerns about Viridor’s repeated permit breaches, which he said had led to a downgrade in its compliance rating.
“We stand with our local residents who share our serious concerns,” Woolmer said. “While we recognise that energy from waste facilities has a role in managing waste, it is imperative the highest standards are maintained.”