Westbury Town Council unanimously agreed to escalate their opposition to the controversial Westbury Incinerator following the government’s announcement of stricter waste incineration regulations.
After a meeting on Monday 9th January, the council have written to the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Nature, Mary Creagh CBE MP, urging the minister to revisit the decision to approve the Westbury Incinerator.
The new government policies, announced just after Christmas, will impose tougher local and environmental conditions for new waste facilities, promote reduced landfill use and require enhanced carbon capture technologies.
In the council’s letter, Mayor Jane Russ and Cllr Mark Bailey, chair of the Incinerator Monitoring Group, argue that, had the current regulations been in place during the original planning inquiry, the Westbury incinerator would not have been approved.
Cllr Bailey explained, “We have asked the minister to retrospectively apply the new guidelines to the Westbury Incinerator as well as to all other incinerators that have yet to be built.”
Cllr Matt Dean, who proposed the motion to write to the minister, told the White Horse News, “Just because the developer managed to get its planning application in before these new standards were announced, it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be bound by them.
“If we have to have this monstrous carbuncle foisted upon us, the incinerator should at the very least be built ready to capture carbon emissions and to utilise the heat generated for local heating or industry. Currently, only nine of the 52 major incinerators in the UK export their heat in this way.”
Cllr Dean has also asked local MP Andrew Murrison to arrange a meeting with government ministers to discuss the issue. “Even better would be for the developer to withdraw their proposals and find a more suitable site,” added Cllr Dean.
Cllr Bailey said public support could strengthen their case and, although not officially endorsed as council policy, he said concerned residents might consider writing to the minister as well. Those wishing to lend their voices to the campaign can write to: Mary Creagh CBE MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Nature, Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DF.
MP calls for a debate in Parliament
Labour MP for South Dorset, Lloyd Hatton, is campaigning for a moratorium on the building of new waste incinerators. He raised the issue in the House of Commons on 12th December, asking for an update on exactly how and when the government will move away from harmful incinerators.
“I have applied for a debate for the week commencing 20th January, which is when Defra is due to respond,” he told White Horse News. “This will just be an opportunity for MPs to make the case to the minister, who will hopefully listen to the strength of feeling in the House.”
Lloyd Hatton’s question to the House was, “Recent BBC news analysis found that burning household rubbish in waste incinerators is the dirtiest way that the UK produces power. When might the relevant minister update the House on exactly how and when we will move away from harmful incinerators? Will the government support my campaign to implement a moratorium on building new incinerators in South Dorset and nationwide?”
The MP has promised to keep White Horse News informed on any developments.
