Incinerator fight stepped up
AS PROPOSALS for a waste incinerator on the outskirts of Ipswich were confirmed today, The Evening Star renews its pledge to fight against the new building.
AS PROPOSALS for a waste incinerator on the outskirts of Ipswich were confirmed today, The Evening Star renews its pledge to fight against the new building.
Suffolk County Council has confirmed it is to go ahead with the proposed plant to burn waste and turn it into electricity at Great Blakenham.
However while there may be merit in such a plant, Great Blakenham is the wrong place.
Just outside Ipswich, the fumes would drift over the town every time there was a north westerly wind.
Also it would be built very close to homes in Great Blakenham - with the likelihood of more to come when the SnOasis resort is finally developed.
And who would want to come and spend a holiday in Suffolk's winter sports resort if there is an incinerator belching out fumes just the other side of the perimeter fence?
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The campaign will be stepped up after the council confirmed the location and said that two contractors have been short-listed to build the incinerator.
The county council expects to receive a Government subsidy of �102million under the private finance initiative for the project, which is scheduled to become operation by the end of 2014.
Lisa Chambers, the council's portfolio holder for waste, said incineration - which goes under the title “energy from waste” - was a tried and tested technology, environmentally sound, and was the most effective method of diverting rubbish from landfill.
It is expected the Government will want to approve the plans, and a timetable has been proposed which allows for any possible public inquiry.
The Liberal Democrats have also launched an online petition against the project, which they claim will also be used to dispose of London's waste.
Local councillor John Field said, “The County Council has not given the public a chance to respond on the proposed incinerator.
“By providing a petition we will give the public the opportunity to show the strength of opposition and show the administration that they must address this problem. A public inquiry is the only way that views on the incinerator sites will be received fairly.”
The shortlisted companies are Sita UK and Veolia ES Aurora Ltd, both of which have built and operated energy from waste facilities throughout Europe.
