Temporary ban on incinerator permits comes too late for Westbury – but glimmer of hope for campaigners

OPPONENTS of the planned Westbury waste incinerator have expressed disappointment that the government has temporarily banned permits for new incinerators in the country, as it comes too late for Westbury.

However, the temporary ban will allow government officials to look at the role of waste incineration in the management of residual waste in England and how many plants are needed for the country. Opponents hope that a review will impact on future plans for Westbury’s waste incinerator.   

The government announced a temporary ban on issuing new permits for incinerators last week and the announcement came as the Environment Secretary, Steve Barclay, is campaigning to stop a waste incinerator being built in his constituency, in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire.  

In Westbury, the controversial plans by Northacre Renewable Energy Ltd (NREL) for a £200million incinerator was given permission last year following an inquiry by a government-appointed planning inspector.  It followed a long, hard-fought battle by local campaigners and protest groups, including Westbury Town Council and 17 other local councils. The Environment Agency has now issued an operating permit for the incinerator plant.   

Following the news of the temporary ban on permits being issued, Westbury Mayor, cllr Mike Sutton said, “The news that the government has ordered a review of incinerators and will investigate the current position regarding capacity is very welcome, although sadly it does not apply to permissions already granted, such as at Westbury.  

“Whilst the review is taking place, no new permits will be issued. While the news is welcome, a cynic might question why now. Surely not because the latest proposal in Wisbech is in the Environment Secretary Steve Barclays’ constituency and he has campaigned against it! Ministers rejected our request for a ministerial review when Westbury was threatened.  

“Although permission for Westbury has been granted, the hope is that investors may consider the merits of proceeding if the review says there is overcapacity in the country – a view often mentioned by our MP in parliament.”  

The local MP, Andrew Murrison, has long campaigned against the Westbury incinerator and he has been lobbying his colleagues for a moratorium on waste burners, to suspend or limit their construction. 

The Westbury incinerator protest group WGAG added, “In general, it makes sense to pause the issue of permits for two main reasons, one of which is over capacity. The generation of energy from waste in the UK is massive compared to other plants, such as the largest plants in Germany for example. 

“The other reason is that the Environment Agency has based permit acceptability on the Industrial Emissions Directive, which just ensures the levels in the atmosphere do not exceed set levels, failing to consider safety involving unspecified amounts of hazardous substances which can be ingested by local communities. This is because the location of the plant is bizarrely, not part of the Environment Agency’s requirement when granting a permit!” 

The temporary order to ban permits for incinerators is set to expire on 24th May but could be withdrawn earlier.