Work on building a new controversial new incinerator is due to start despite the company not yet having an environmental permit.

West Berkshire Council granted planning permission for the facility in Burghfield, near Reading, in August 2022.

However, people are concerned about the plans and have urged the Government to intervene.

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J Mould (Reading) Ltd, the developers for the project, said the incinerator would help address waste disposal issues in the area and it was therefore ‘moving forward at pace’.

The incinerator, which will be called the Energy Recovery Centre, is expected to operate 24 hours a day for 360 days a year, burning 150,000 tonnes of rubbish annually.

It will be built alongside a new data centre at an existing waste management site in an old quarry.

In a statement, Jay Mould, director of J Mould (Reading), said: "We have major issues in the south of England, with nowhere to dispose of private sector commercial and industrial waste.

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"There is also a burgeoning need for artificial intelligence-ready data infrastructure and rising demand for electrical power. The development on our site addresses all three.

"We have taken our time putting the designs together and addressing the planning conditions. We are now moving forward at pace and hope to start construction towards the end of next year."

The company is also intending on applying for an environmental permit in the near future.