Fury over county stonewall

COUNTY chiefs have provoked outcry after refusing to reveal the location of five other sites considered for a highly-controversial incinerator.

As revealed in The Evening Star, Suffolk County Council has announced Great Blakenham, just six miles from Ipswich, as the preferred site for a £500million waste burning plant.

Fears have already been raised about the health implications of such a facility.

Five other sites were also shortlisted as possibilities but county leaders have point blank refused to say where they are.

When asked where the five other sites were, the council replied: “For legal reasons we are not in a position to say at this stage.

“We looked at over 70 possible sites and until the final location was chosen, it may not be in the local interests of local residents and council tax payers to disclose this list.”

Andrew Cann, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats at Suffolk County Council, feels the council should come clean on which other sites were considered by the council so the issue can be considered openly.

He said: “Suffolk County Council think that the interests of local residents is not best served by knowing if an incinerator could be built next to them.

“Don't local people have the right to know? Who does Suffolk County Council serve if not the people of Suffolk?”

Campaign group SAIL, which stands for Suffolk Against Incineration & Landfill, is looking to hold a large public meeting next month to decide a course of action.

Campaign leader Peter Welham, who has also campaigned against the SnOasis development, said the scale of the protest will be huge.

“The SnOasis campaign was quite successful but that will pale into insignificance as this affects everyone in the county, not just Great Blakenham.”