Over 100 local people came to a town meeting to discuss Westbury’s waste treatment plant, and hear presentations from representatives from groups who are both promoting and opposing the scheme.
The meeting, approved by Westbury Town Council, was called in response to mounting public concern about the plan to construct an Advanced Thermal Treatment (ATT) plant using gasification at Northacre Business Park, Westbury. The purpose of the meeting was intended to be part education, part information and offer a chance for public scrutiny of the proposal.
Westbury Town Council invited representatives from both sides of the argument to take part in a ‘Question Time’ format. These were; Andrew Hicklin and Jim Wilkinson for the Environment Agency (EA); Stephen Eades for Friends of the Earth (FoE); Ed Dodd for Hills Waste Solutions (HWS); Alex Young for Bio-Energy Infrastructure (BEI) and David Harvey, an air quality consultant for Hills Waste Solutions.
Invited speakers were given the opportunity to present their specialised topics to the audience, with talks given on the permit evaluation process from the Environment Agency; the gasification process from Bio-Energy Infrastructure; the proposed variations to planning permissions from Hills Waste; and finally, a contrary view was presented by Friends of the Earth.
Following these presentations, chair of the meeting, the Mayor, cllr Gordon King, opened up the discussion to accept questions from the public. People asked about the process, how the operating permit will be judged, the reliability of the process, issues regarding plume grounding, the risk of emissions released into the atmosphere, the use of plastics and the hazards of pollutants and toxins. Every question asked was answered and assurances given, however a large part of the audience remained sceptical.
Cllr Gordon King said, “We organised the meeting without fixed idea or position. We did not lead the session because we wanted to listen to and hear what people had to say and they did not disappoint. This was a well-argued debate on both sides, where two underlying issues remain unresolved.
“The first is the extent to which we can trust the proposers to comply absolutely with the conditions of the permit and the Environment Agency to provide effective enforcement of those conditions. The second is the extent to which we can truly have confidence that the process of gasification is really the best available technique for dealing with residual waste and ensure that it does not present a major long-term hazard to our health.
“What is clear is that sooner or later, a tough decision must be made which will not satisfy everybody. With our thanks to the public, Westbury Town Council is now in a better position to deal with the consultation on the granting of the environmental permit.”
Zoe Mann, creator of Westbury’s Gasification Action Group (WGAG) speaking to White Horse News after the event said, “I felt the meeting went well, there was a fantastic turnout and it was clear people were very passionate on the subject. It was also a great opportunity for people new to this whole subject to learn more about it and to ask questions directly to Hills and the Environment Agency. It was a shame however we had nobody from Wiltshire Council we could ask questions of.
“Stephen Eades from Friends Of The Earth did an excellent job of explaining all the dangers associated with this proposal and I am hopeful that the Environment Agency and Hills will respond to all his questions he presented them with on the night after his speech.
“I was unimpressed with the attitude of Hills’ investor (Bioenergy Infrastructure) as their representative seemed to find our concerns amusing for some reason, but on the whole I feel some real progress was made, hopefully for all parties.”
Maggy Daniell, a member of Westbury’s Gasification Action Group (WGAG) said, “I found it to be a very interesting meeting. It was clear that people have taken an interest and done lots of research as there were some very useful questions raised. I also thought the Mayor, cllr Gordon King, did an exemplary job as chair.
“I was very surprised at the presentation from Hills. I expected a slicker, technology-fuelled presentation but it wasn’t, I didn’t find it to be informative at all. It was almost like they didn’t want to give anything away. Their attitude was that they seemed it was a done deal and their visit was just a token gesture.
“Our group’s slogan ‘Westbury not Wastebury’ is definitely resonating with people. It shows that we have been dumped on for far too long.
“However safe the process is, and you cannot be 100%, there is going to be accidents. And it’s clear from Hills’ previous accidents that there is a management issue. I would like to see a 24/7 manager there, and unless they do, I wouldn’t feel safe.”
A statement from Hills regarding the meeting said, “Hills attended the meeting to provide facts and information regarding the development of Northacre Renewable Energy gasification plant in Westbury for which there is an existing planning permission and to explain the gasification technology that will be used which is different to incineration.
“This is the second time in the past few months that we have made ourselves available to speak to members of the public about this significant project which will generate renewable energy from waste, providing 150 jobs during the construction phase and 40 permanent jobs when the plant begins operating. We were pleased to respond to residents’ legitimate questions and provide to them with information to alleviate their concerns.
“The next step is the submission of a Section 73 variation to the existing planning permission regarding minor amendments to the design of the building. We will also soon begin pre-application discussions with the Environment Agency relating to an Environmental Permit application, without which the plant will not be able to operate.
“Residents who would like to keep up to date with our development can visit www.northacre-energy.co.uk”
