LOCAL MP Dr Andrew Murrison recently met with the Environment Secretary Therese Coffey in a bid to put the brakes on an energy-from-waste incinerator being built in Westbury.
Dr Murrison met Coffey in her Commons office to lobby against incinerators and he wants to see an incinerator tax put in place to discourage the burning of waste in favour of reducing, reusing and recycling it.
He was also joined by the Health Secretary Steve Barclay MP who is facing a similar battle as an incinerator is being proposed in his North East Cambridgeshire constituency.
Dr Murrison said, “The meeting was positive and I think Therese got the point. I will continue to meet with ministers involved in decision making on incineration and so-called energy from waste plants. We have to do better than sending waste up the stack and we must continue to resist with all our strength the planned Westbury incinerator.”
Northacre Renewable Energy Ltd (NREL) secured planning permission last year for a £200 million incinerator which will be built on the northern edge of the town at the Northacre Industrial Estate, following a government appointed planning inspector granting planning permission on appeal.
The plans faced fierce opposition from local people, environmental campaigners and the town council and Andrew Murrison has previously said he “will not rest” until NREL decides that the plans are not financially viable and the company decides not to build the facility.
