Melksham Town Council has said that it is “deeply concerned” about the potential environmental impact on Melksham from the proposed Westbury incinerator.
The council has expressed its concern in response to the consultation by the Environment Agency regarding the plans.
Northacre Renewable Energy (NREL), who have proposed to build a traditional ‘energy from waste’ incinerator, has applied to the Environment Agency for an environmental permit to burn non-hazardous waste.
At the Melksham Town Council’s economic development and planning meeting last week, councillors agreed to respond to the consultation, objecting in “strong terms”, explaining their concern about the incinerator’s emissions and its potential to pollute Melksham. They also agreed to echo the same concerns they raised in their objection to the planning application last year – particularly NREL’s U-turn decision to use traditional ‘energy from waste’ technology, rather than ‘greener’ incinerating technology, as they had previously proposed.
In their planning objection last year, Melksham town councillors also raised concerns about the additional HGV vehicles moving through Melksham on the A350 and its impact on the town’s air quality; the high level of CO2 emissions generated from the incinerator; the potential risk of hazardous waste – a by-product of the incinerator – being transported through the town; and how the incinerator does not sit within Wiltshire Council’s declared ‘Climate Emergency’.
The closing date for responses to the Environment Agency’s permit consultation was extended last month to Sunday 21st February. A decision by Wiltshire Council about NREL’s planning application is expected in the near future.
For more information about the Environment Agency’s consultation, visit https://consult. environment-agency.gov. uk/psc/ba13-4we-northacre- renewable-energy-limited/
