Gloucestershire County Council’s Residual Waste Working Group (RWWG) have published a “plan B” report into dealing with Gloucestershire’s waste. However, Conservative councillors have misrepresented the contents of the report, in an attempt to influence Eric Pickles to say “yes” to this incinerator that the majority of councillors no longer want. Their claim that the RWWG “has identified an incinerator, at or near Javelin Park, as the only realistic approach to disposing of all of Gloucestershire’s waste within the County” is totally disingenuous and incorrect. The RWWG report itself clearly does not support incineration at Javelin Park, instead recommending market testing of Options 2 and 3, i.e. forms of Mechanical, Biological Treatment.”
We invite people to read the report themselves here. Further putting the lie to Conservative claims is the fact that there is already planning permission for an MBT plant in the county. DEFRA have also made clear that crossing boundaries is not prohibited but simply a matter of balancing economic and environmental issues, e.g. the facility being built at Severnside will be used by West London local authorities. Over-capacity in the UK is still predicted by 2017 by experts EUNOMIA.
Waste avoidance and recycling improvements and the jobs they create will not attract investment here if we need to burn waste for 25 years to make this contract work.
Chris Jockel, Green Party Parliamentary candidate, welcomed the publication of the report, noting that it effectively “bins incineration as a way forward”. “Now we need Eric Pickles to refuse permission for the Incinerator so we can concentrate on effective reduction, recycling and finally a sustainable way of processing residual waste”.
For further information on the campaign against the incinerator, please contact Gerald Hartley of GlosVAIN.