Veolia has submitted a planning application for a new recycling facility at one of its plants in the New Forest near Ringwood.

A planning application has been submitted to Hampshire County Council from Veolia which wants a temporary incinerator bottom ash (IBA) pad and processing operation at the Chatsworth Blue Haze Landfill.

It turns incinerator ash into aggregate to go onto roads.

The site is around one kilometre east of Verwood and within the centre of Ringwood Forest, New Forest.

Sand and gravel extraction at Blue Haze dates back to the 1950s, with the earliest planning permission dating back to 1955.

Blue Haze is the only landfill site in Hampshire and has taken household waste since April 2000.

In 2007, the variation of one condition allowed the use of an incinerator bottom ash at the site. However, it was relocated to another site in Hampshire, but now it needs one again.

The site comprises nine “cells” to hold waste, covered with a layer of soil at the end of each day. Once buried, the waste biodegrades.

The procedure can take many years, depending on the type of waste. The waste produces landfill gas, mainly methane, collected through a network of pipes.

Some “cells” are partially filled, while others are fully operational and still accept waste.

The proposed IBA processing activity will exist on site until cells eight and nine are due for final restoration.

On decommissioning, the IBA pad, stockpiles, plant, and associated equipment will be removed, and cells eight and nine will be landfilled to final consented levels.

At the energy recovery facility (ERF), the IBA is cooled down to extinguish any residual fire and maintain a seal with the boiler under negative pressure.

The IBA is then allowed to mature for around eight weeks. During this time, various chemical and physical changes take place, such as mineral oxides resulting from the incineration process.

The raw IBA, once matured, is delivered to the feed hopper – a rectangular tank which is funnel-shaped at the end, allowing the content to fall slowly.

The equipment includes a series of belts, screens, hoppers, and magnets to separate and grade the material.

The equipment will be mobile and not inside a building but will be covered by prefabricated modular covers.

Public consultation is open until March 29. For more information, visit the Hampshire County Council website with the HCC/2024/0103 reference number.