The leaders of all four political groups on the District Council have sent an open letter to Mark Hawthorne, leader of the County Council, offering to fund a joint review by independent consultants of the business case for the planned incinerator at Javelin Park, near Stonehouse.
Martin Whiteside, the Green Party Councillors’ leader and one of the signatories of the letter said:
“Technology has moved on since the incinerator was tendered; recycling is increasing, the waste available is not increasing as the original business case projected and the overall waste treatment capacity in the private and public sector is expanding. Indeed by the time the incinerator might be built we are likely to have over-capacity and we would be left with an enormously expensive white elephant.
The offer of this quick consultancy, that does not need to cause any delays, provides a wonderful opportunity for GCC either to have its plans confirmed as in the best interests of the public, or to adopt an alternative solution before it is too late.”
Martin Whiteside adds, “This review is in the public interest; it is our money that is about to be spent, and we have a right to an up-to-date, independent and transparent analysis. I hope the County Council is not afraid to have someone else look at their business case before irrevocable decisions are taken.”
Meanwhile, campaign group GlosVAIN have published their own detailed financial projection for the proposed project, estimating that switching to alternative technologies could save £315 million to £365 million over the 25-year term of the proposed contract. You can download the full report here.