WESTBURY’S mayor, town councillors and concerned residents took to the streets in a public protest last week against Wiltshire Council’s decision to approve the planning application for a controversial incinerator in the town. They were protesting outside Trowbridge’s Civic Centre, before Wiltshire Council held its first full meeting since the pandemic began.
The Westbury protesters were joined by members of the Wiltshire Climate Alliance (WCA) and Extinction Rebellion, against the construction of a waste incinerator in Westbury, which was given the green light by Wiltshire Council in June. The protest also called for Wiltshire to address the issue of climate change and the need to introduce measures as a matter of urgency.
Mayor of Westbury, cllr Sheila Kimmins said, “We are here because of the undemocratic decision that the planning department of Wiltshire Council made. They haven’t listened to the people of Westbury and it isn’t just Westbury, we’ve got people from Chippenham, Salisbury and all over the county.
“I have been writing continuously to Sir James Bevan at the Environment Agency (EA) and also to Hills. If Hills can’t manage the amount of waste they have now, how can we expect them to manage an increase in waste and an incinerator of that size? The incinerator is not in the best interest of this town – it will not give us any jobs and there’s a higher possibility we could lose jobs as a result. Wiltshire Council has now got to stand behind us all and fight the application and listen to the people who voted them in.”
Richard Ecclestone, spokesperson for Wiltshire Climate Alliance (WCA) said about the plans for an incinerator, “For me, if you find yourself in a hole, the first thing you do is stop digging – but what we’re seeing is they’ve got an excavator out. They’re making the problem worse and worse because what they’re doing is locking in Co2 emissions and particulate pollution in our area for the next 25 years – this will affect the rest of the county. It’s madness, absolute madness. It’s also totally not following the plan of becoming carbon neutral by 2030 – it just doesn’t make any sense.”
Since approval for the waste incinerator next to Arla Foods in Westbury was given by Wiltshire Council, campaigners have continued to urge the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Michael Gove MP, to ‘call in’ the plans for further scrutiny. He has the power to overturn the planning permission and refuse the application.
Matthew Dean, Wiltshire councillor representing Westbury West said, “Michael Gove will be making the decision on the incinerator. The more that we’ve gone into this application, particularly with the behaviour of how Hills have operated their current facility on that site and the inconvenience and the nuisance and the smell that has been hounding residents of Westbury over the summer, has been absolutely dreadful and has made me even more committed to fight the incinerator proposal. Clearly Hills aren’t a suitable applicant in my opinion, and this is certainly not a suitable site.
“I think there’s a good chance that Mr Gove will refuse the application, particularly in light of COP 26. There’s an overcapacity in this country for incinerators burning waste and this site is not needed – it’s a commercial site, so it’s not needed strategically to dispose of waste in Wiltshire.”
Wiltshire councillor, Nick Botterill, cabinet member for climate change, spoke to those who had gathered outside the Civic Centre saying, “We are a recycle-focussed council and are looking to change the way recycling occurs in this county, so expect massive change in this area. The incinerator is part of the past.”
This was met with jeers and heckles from the Westbury crowd, with one person shouting out, “I’m sorry but for the people that live in Westbury and have to deal with it – it’s not in the past, it’s their future and their children’s future.” Members of Westbury Town Council also took issue with this statement, shouting, “You wouldn’t live in Westbury” and “Come and see what it’s like for yourself.”
Sam, a resident of Westbury said at the protest, “We need the council to show leadership and although all these consultations are great for involvement, time is ticking on. It seems clear to me that the council should be opposing any kind of project that would further damage the local environment and air quality – so why push for an incinerator?”
