There is fresh hope in Westbury that a government crackdown on waste incinerators could prompt a rethink of the town’s controversial incinerator project. However, there is disappointment that the government’s measures stop short of an outright ban on new incinerators.
The government announced this week that it will introduce tougher regulations on new waste incinerators which burn rubbish to generate electricity. New incinerators will only get the go ahead if they meet strict new local and environmental conditions including reducing the amount of rubbish going to landfill.
Although the proposed Westbury incinerator has already been granted planning permission, local campaigners hope the new guidelines will lead to a rethink.
“Whilst welcoming this announcement, the town council are disappointed that it doesn’t go further and that the government haven’t placed an outright ban on building new incinerators as has happened in Scotland and Wales, and which the town council has been strongly lobbying for,” said Cllr Mark Bailey, chair of the town council’s Incinerator Monitoring Group.
“The bottom line is that companies investing in incineration are doing it for one reason only: to generate profits, and so anything, including these tighter regulations, that increases costs and so makes incinerators uneconomical to run is good news in the fight against these unwanted plants.
Continue lobbying
“The logical conclusion drawn from the government’s statement is that these tougher restrictions should apply to all new incinerators, including those that already have planning permission and environmental permits but have yet to be built such as the Westbury Incinerator, and I will propose that we continue lobbying the minister to make that case and to reconsider the Westbury decision in the light of this new guidance.
“Alongside this, the town council will continue to fight against the proposed incinerator and to do all we can to stop it being built. The writing is on the wall for the future of incineration and this announcement is another nail in the coffin of so-called energy-from-waste plants in the UK.”
Mayor Jane Russ added, “Westbury residents should be assured that the town council will not stop in its endeavour to try and get the building of an incinerator in the town reversed.
Tide is turning
“This government statement does feel like the tide is turning, long may it last. We know that our MP has been against this monstrosity from the very beginning and we can only hope that he will double his efforts now that it is obvious the government is behind this.”
Andy Murray, a member of the WGAG / No Westbury Incinerator group, which has campaigned for ten years against the Westbury incinerator, said of the new government guidelines, “That’s good to read, any tightening of regulation and changes to current operating practices will throw more risk and therefore doubt on the viability of building a £200m incinerator – the decision makers won’t know if they get halfway through the build and then find there’s less feedstock, pushing the price up and reducing profitability.”
The government’s announcement also makes clear that the UK is already close to capacity for the amount of rubbish the country can burn and that there is a ‘limited need’ for further waste incinerators plants.
“It is clear that the age of waste incineration is over,” said Shlomo Dowen, the national co-ordinator of the UK Without Incineration Network (UKWIN).
“We hope that the government’s latest announcement will result in the abandonment of incineration schemes currently being proposed. This would free up funds to invest in the top tiers of the waste hierarchy, including the creation of many new jobs in the repair, reuse, redesign and recycling sectors.”
In its announcement on 30th December, Defra, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, said, “Over the last 14 years, England has seen recycling rates stall, meaning too much waste is dealt with through incineration or thrown in landfill. Almost half of all waste (49%) collected by local authorities in 2022/23 was incinerated, with just 40% recycled.
“Under new plans, the government will only back projects if they meet strict local and environmental conditions…developers will have to demonstrate that their projects will help lower the amount of non-recyclable waste sent to landfill or enable the replacement of older, less efficient plants.
“They will also need to outline that new projects are built Carbon Capture ready, once the requirements come into force. They will also need to show how they will make use of the heat they produce. This includes plants that produce fuels that can be used to decarbonise other sectors, such as aviation.
“New waste incinerators will also need to meet our existing high standards on air pollution and other environmental impacts to receive an environmental permit. These impacts are closely monitored and regulated by the Environment Agency in England. This is a vital step in addressing communities’ concerns about environmental impacts and maximising the benefits from these facilities.”
