WESTBURY Town Council has sent a letter to all Westbury residents recommending that they write to the Secretary of State asking him to ‘call in’ the planning approval decision made by Wiltshire Council for a waste incinerator to be built in Westbury.
Wiltshire Council members voted by 7 to 4, to approve a planning application to build an incinerator in the town, on 22nd June, a decision that brought condemnation from Westbury Town Council
The council is urging everyone in the town to join the campaign to get the decision ‘called in’.
“We have been advised the deadline is Friday 23rd July 2021,” said the town council. “Westbury’s MP Dr Andrew Murrison, has also written to Robert Jenrick MP, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government asking him to ‘call in’ the Planning Panel’s decision for review and overturn it.
“The decision of a Secretary of State to call in a planning application is relatively rare in the planning process, but he is more likely to do so if a community can demonstrate they are collectively opposed to the planning approval and giving material planning considerations why they are against the planning application.
“In the view of Westbury Town Council, this is the final opportunity to stop the incinerator proposal going ahead and everyone is urged to write to demonstrate public opposition to this incinerator on the following grounds:
• A large-scale dairy producer located in Westbury, has identified a risk of contamination to their food products from fine airborne particulates released from the proposed waste facility. This poses a threat to the business and they may be forced to close their site. This dairy producer employs 250 local staff directly and purchases its produce from farmers across the Southwest. An estimated additional 1,500 jobs could be at risk from those employed in milk production, logistical and transport suppliers. This cannot be offset by the small increase in jobs at the proposed waste facility
• The Government has committed to reducing carbon emissions. Wiltshire Council and Westbury Town Council have declared a climate emergency and pledged to be carbon neutral by 2030. The levels of CO2 that will be emitted from the waste facility and its associated increase in traffic is not acceptable to us, or our community, and can only be seen as a failure by the Government at COP26
• Increased traffic adding to the already serious congestion along the A350 route throughout the town and neighbouring villages
• Worsening air quality in Westbury which is already an Air Quality Action zone
• Nuisance caused by noise and odour nuisance
• Scale, massing and obtrusiveness of the incinerator.”
The town council continues, “This is the single most important issue Westbury has faced in recent years. If built, the impact of this incinerator will be felt for the next 25 years and that impact won’t only be felt in Westbury. Ask yourself the following questions:
• Where will this waste come from? Will it only be from the local area?
• Which route will it take to get here and how will that impact on roads which are already running to capacity or are unsuitable for HGVs?
• How far will the emissions from the incinerator drift?
• How committed are the Government and Wiltshire Council about tackling climate change?
• If the commitment is there, why approve building this incinerator?
“We need everyone across the South West to write to the Secretary of State to show the opposition to this incinerator. Our website contains some examples of what letters could say. It is vitally important that all letters are received by no later than Friday 23rd July 2021.
“Remember, this isn’t just Westbury’s problem, it’s everyone’s problem.”
• Write to: The Rt. Hon Robert Jenrick MP, Secretary of State, Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government 2 Marsham Street, London. SW1P 4DF.
