THIS sort of rubbish crunching creation could soon be built in Hertfordshire. Its arrival would mean 170,000 tonnes of municipal waste being diverted from landfill. The county council learned today (Friday) that it has been successful in its bid for Priva

THIS sort of rubbish crunching creation could soon be built in Hertfordshire.

Its arrival would mean 170,000 tonnes of municipal waste being diverted from landfill.

The county council learned today (Friday) that it has been successful in its bid for Private Finance Initiative (PFI) funding to support the development of a new waste treatment facility.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' decision to award the county council �115.3m in PFI credits marks the end of a long, competitive application process.

These credits will fund a significant proportion of the overall �200m cost of developing a new waste treatment facility with the remaining investment being covered by the private sector. This represents a considerable saving for the council and taxpayers.

"This is a great result for the county," said Derrick Ashley, executive member for planning, external relations and waste.

"In the past couple of years there has been a significant increase in the number of projects being submitted to Defra to compete for PFI support so it is really encouraging that our project has been granted funding."

A former secondary school site at New Barnfield, Hatfield, has been identified as a possible suitable spot for an energy from waste plant recovering both heat and electricity from the non-recyclable waste.