Saturday 20th June saw the staging of a “Toxin-free Tea Party” on the site of the proposed incinerator at Javelin Park. This was attended by what appears from this picture to be a dangerous and radical group of leftist sympathisers; pretty much the “usual suspects” when it comes to opposing Tory party policy...
Green County Councillor Sarah Lunnon, attending the event, said “It’s clear that communities and residents of Stroud want GCC to take a different, more sustainable course to deal with our rubbish. Reduction and re-use are top of the list yet receive only 0.3% of the waste budget. Stroud District Council is one of the few authorities in this rubbish saga that is acting on behalf of local people, by challenging the decision of GCC to squat an unwanted, inefficient incinerator at Javelin Park, blighting our countryside and burning our natural resources.”
On Thursday 25th June we then got the news that the High Court has deferred it’s decision in relation to SDC’s legal challenge. Commenting on the news, Cllr Lunnon said “The fact that a decision has been deferred by the High Court indicates the complexity of the legal planning arguments that have been heard. What is easy to understand is the visual impact the incinerator would have on the Cotswold escarpment, the role incineration has in halting increases in recycling rates, and the fact that the CO2 emissions from incineration are higher than those from a dirty coal power station”.
She went on to note “Many previously enthusiastic trash and burn countries are now mothballing their Incinerators. Let’s hope the High Court gives Gloucestershire the opportunity to avoid taking the Incineration route, and instead sets us on the path to a sustainable use of our natural resources: allowing us to protect our cherished countryside”.
For the latest updates on the incinerator saga, check the glosvain web site. To see more of the toxin-free tea party and hear from those involved, check out this 10-minute video courtesy of Stroud Community TV.