RADICAL plans have emerged to develop Longue Hougue as a one-stop shop for waste. Retired agri-businessman Dick Bilborough proposes an alternative to mass burn incineration at the 11-acre site that also includes sewage treatment.

He claims the solution, which integrates different waste-management technologies and practices, including recycling and energy from waste, will dramatically reduce the need for landfill.

Mr Bilborough is confident of substantial private sector funding to reduce the financial burden on the taxpayer.

The solution, which tackles the island’s two most pressing problems of solid and liquid waste management, would be cheaper, smaller and more environmentally friendly than the 100ft-high incinerator previously proposed for the site, he claims.

‘Taking advantage of the synergy of housing all the facilities at one site will create some serious savings and vastly improve the efficiency of dealing with Guernsey’s waste,’ said Mr Bilborough.

‘It will meet centrally meet all the island’s needs in an area which already has planning consent and an environmental impact assessment for a mass-burn incinerator.’

He has tested the water with some members of Public Services, which is managing the competitive tender for the solid waste solution, and Environment and said he had enjoyed some very encouraging feedback.

After retiring from a career in agri-business, he set up TEG Environmental – a company at the cutting edge of green waste management.

He has been visiting the island on business since the early 1980s and said he had an intimate knowledge of local issues.

The idea is being supported by David Chan of specialist securities firm Cenkos, who said it fitted perfectly the criteria set out by the Environment Department in January’s Billet d’Etat on waste disposal.

The integrated modular system of management would include high recycling, organic composting, sewage and energy-from-waste facilities.

The layout has been designed to allow the logical flow of by-products between the facilities.

‘Everything will complement and feed off each other. As an example, the plans include the relocation of the slaughter house to the site adjacent to the cattle burner. The waste from this, such as blood, will be fed straight into the sewage treatment plant alongside,’ said Mr Bilborough.

He said the development could be completed in stages, with a build time of five years for the whole project.

‘After retiring I saw this as an interesting challenge that was commercially viable. I started looking at it about a year ago, but really got stuck in during the last six months.’

Mr Chan first met Mr Bilborough through professional dealings with TEG Environment.

‘We kept in contact and when he shared his proposals with me, I knew they provided the integrated waste-management solution that Guernsey has been looking for,’ he said.

‘We believe it both satisfies the recommendations set out by the States’ own consultants and demonstrates that there is active commercial interest in meeting Guernsey’s most pressing need.’

Mr Chan is looking to develop a consortium of local businesses that will work together to make the vision a reality.

The pair will outline their vision at a public meeting from 6pm on Monday at the Old Government House Hotel.

‘These ideas are very much a work in progress until the finer detail within the tender document is fully understood, but we believe it is important the people of Guernsey know that there is a positive, locally driven alternative to mass-burn incineration.