Westbury MP Dr Andrew Murrison’s Waste Incinerators Bill is due for its second reading in the House of Commons next week on Friday 17th April.
The Bill – now formally printed and available to the public – aims to reduce the use of waste incinerators and stop the building of new ones.
It also seeks to remove “deliver or pay” clauses in local authority contracts that require councils to supply a set amount of waste for incineration or face financial penalties.
Dr Murrison shared the news about the Bill’s progress, saying, “Nice to see my Waste Incinerators Bill printed. Looking forward to some progress!” The full Bill can be viewed on the UK Parliament website at: https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/4043
The MP first introduced the Bill in November under the House of Commons’ Ten-Minute Rule, calling incineration a “landfill in the sky” and arguing that high incineration rates have discouraged recycling. He also raised concerns that incinerators are disproportionately located in more deprived areas.
His bill was backed by MPs from across the political spectrum including Brian Mathew (Devizes & Melksham, Liberal Democrat) and Danny Kruger (East Wiltshire, Reform UK).
Dr Murrison’s Bill follows his opposition to the proposed Westbury incinerator, which gained final planning consent from the Planning Inspectorate in 2023 after being rejected by Wiltshire Council. Construction at the site began last year, despite continued objections from local campaigners including the Westbury Gasification Action Group (WGAG), Westbury Town Council and other local councils.
The upcoming parliamentary debate will determine whether the Bill progresses to the committee stage for further scrutiny.
Pictured: Andrew Murrison with his Bill
