MP gives new hope in battle against incinerator

THERE is new hope for opponents of the controversial Westbury incinerator with local MP Andrew Murrison saying he is ‘very hopeful’ the planning permission will be called in by the Secretary of State.

Wiltshire Council gave planning permission in June, despite overwhelming opposition from local campaign groups, local councils and Andrew Murrison himself.

The decision was referred to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government who has the power to ‘call in’ the application and overturn the decision.

At the time, the Secretary of State was Robert Jenrick but he was replaced by Michael Gove in the Cabinet reshuffle last month.

“I’ve raised the issue with the Secretary of State in person and in writing,” Andrew Murrison told White Horse News. “It’s important that he calls this in since he can consider issues that Wiltshire Council, as the local planning authority, were less able to consider.

“I’m very hopeful. It seems to me that anyone looking at this objectively will come to same conclusion as me, that this application must be turned down.”

And he added, “I expect a decision fairly soon, in weeks, not months.”

Last week, Andrew Murrison reiterated his opposition to the incinerator in a letter to Michael Gove saying that incinerators produce almost as much carbon emissions per unit of electricity produced as coal-fired power stations and that the Westbury incinerator seriously threatens the Arla Food production next door.

“Following up on our recent conversation and my letters to your predecessor (15th and 30th June), I would like to reiterate my opposition to a proposed so-called energy-from-waste incinerator in Westbury and my hope that you decide to ‘call in’ the decision,” he wrote.

“The upcoming COP26 summit invites us to review our waste management. I recall your Resources and Waste Strategy (RWS) and suggest old style moving-grate incinerators, such as the one planned for Westbury, conflict strongly with it. They do nothing to incentivise waste reduction and a circular economy – policies rightly front and centre in the RWS that you supervised.

“The UK Without Incineration Network (UKWIN) calculates that the UK is already over-capacity, meaning there is more incineration capacity existing and under construction than available residual waste to burn.

“The RWS talks of cracking down on plastic waste and pollution. A Telegraph and Source Material investigation of incinerator companies’ own data showed that in 2019, incinerators produced almost the same carbon emissions per unit of electricity as coal-fired power plants. This is largely due to the burning of plastics which, when burnt, emit twice their pre-burned solid weight of gas carbon into the atmosphere.

“I must press the plight of Westbury’s Arla Foods, a regional employer and a company of national importance, whose operation is seriously threatened by the proposed incinerator next door. Arla takes a perishable product, milk, and renders it into long shelf-life dairy products such as Anchor butter. 

“Recent action by the Environment Agency against the incinerator applicant for breaches at its existing waste site in Westbury, give every reason to suppose its incinerator business would pose a taint threat to Arla’s highly sensitive product and mean unscheduled suspension of its operations. 

“This would pose an existential threat to Arla, gum up the entire UK dairy industry and result in perishable product from farms having to be destroyed. I cannot believe you would be comfortable with such a dire risk to the UK’s already struggling dairy sector and to our country’s food security. 

“I stand ready to discuss further and at length. Thank you for your help.”