THE decision on whether to give Northacre Renewable Energy Limited (NREL) permission to build a controversial waste incinerator in the town will be made at a meeting of Wiltshire councillors on 22nd June, with the meeting live streamed on Facebook and YouTube.
Wiltshire Council say that representatives of the most affected parish councils, including Westbury Town Council, will also be given the opportunity to have their say in person at the meeting.
Wiltshire Council gave permission for a waste incinerator to be built in the town in 2019, but the operators have submitted new plans to use an energy from waste incinerator, which has attracted huge opposition.
In a statement, the council said, “Wiltshire Council will live stream the strategic planning committee meeting that will discuss the planning application from Land & Mineral Management, on behalf of Northacre Renewable Energy Limited (NREL), for a revised ‘energy from waste’ facility in Westbury.
“The committee will meet at 10.30am on 22 June in the Council Chamber at County Hall, and to ensure more people have the chance to watch, it will be streamed live online on Facebook and YouTube.”
Cllr Nick Botterill, Wiltshire Council cabinet member for strategic planning said, “We know how important this meeting is to many residents, so we are live streaming it on Facebook and YouTube to allow more people to watch the proceedings.
“The meeting was originally due to be held in early June, but we have sought to delay it to ensure everyone who wants to view it can do so, given its high public profile.
“According to the Government’s Covid roadmap, restrictions may be lifted the day before the meeting, on Monday 21 June. We hope that there won’t be any restrictions in place by this time, but as a precaution, and to make sure as many people as possible can get involved, we are streaming it online.
“Both sides of the discussion will be given the opportunity to have their say and present their arguments in accordance with procedure, with pre-arranged speakers attending the event.
“The strategic planning committee is an important part of the statutory planning process, and it comprises cross-party members from around the county.”
The link to watch will be available on Agenda for Strategic Planning Committee on Tuesday 22 June 2021, 10.30 am | Wiltshire Council in due course. The council’s YouTube channel can be found at www.youtube.com/user/wiltshirecouncil and its Facebook page is at www.facebook.com/ WiltshireCouncil
