Westbury MP Andrew Murrison and Westbury Town Council have called on Wiltshire Council to make its position clear on the town’s planned waste incinerator, saying a joint effort is needed to prevent it being built.
In a letter to council leader Ian Thorn, who became leader following the local elections in May, Dr Murrison described the project as a ‘blight’ on Westbury and urged the authority to make its position on the incinerator clear.
He said, “Together with Westbury Town Council and local campaigners, I have continued to actively and vociferously oppose the incinerator plan. However, I have heard nothing from your administration. This is despite the incinerator being one of the most salient issues locally.
“If we are to ensure this horrible thing is never built there does need to be a joint effort and I hope you will regard this as a call to arms.”
A Wiltshire Council planning committee rejected the Westbury incinerator proposal in July 2022, but following an appeal, the project was granted planning permission by the UK government’s Planning Inspectorate in February 2023. Hills Waste is a key partner in the project.
In a letter to Cllr Ian Thorn, the chair of Westbury Town Council’s Incinerator Monitoring Group, Cllr Mark Bailey, endorsed Andrew Murrison’s position.
Cllr Bailey said, “The town council, with the support of the majority of the town, continues to oppose the incinerator and to lobby against the building of new incinerators generally. As you will be aware, the previous administration at Wiltshire Council refused planning permission for this incinerator; however, this was overturned on appeal. We very much hope that your administration will come out publicly against this unwanted blight on our town and offer us your full support in our continued fight to ensure that it is never built.”
Pictured: Digital illustration of planned incinerator
