Waste specialist Viridor this week secured planning permission at the second attempt to build a 300,000 tonne-a-year capacity energy-from-waste incinerator near the M40 at Ardley.

The £650m energy-from-waste plant will be the key building element towards delivering Oxfordshire county council’s 25-year residual waste disposal contract.

The plans were subject to a public inquiry in July 2010 after an initial application was refused by the local planning committee a year ago.

Councillor Ian Hudspeth, Oxfordshire county council’s cabinet member for growth and infrastructure, said: “Once built, the energy recovery facility at Ardley would result in the diversion of at least 95% of Oxfordshire’s municipal waste from landfill and provide electricity for at least 22,000 homes.”