PLANS for an incinerator in Westbury using “dumbed-down” technology, have been unanimously objected to by Frome Town Council.
The new application by Northacre Renewable Energy (NREL) to build a traditional ‘energy from waste’ incinerator, is a U-turn on their previously approved application to build a gasification plant, using ‘greener’ incinerating technology.
In their objection, Frome town councillors raised concerns about the additional HGV vehicles moving through Frome 24 hours-a-day and the associated pollution caused; the toxins produced by the incinerator that will drift towards Frome on the prevailing south-west wind; the production of greenhouse gases; and how the incinerator does not sit within the town council’s declared ‘Climate Emergency’.
Councillors also questioned the need for another incinerator in the area, pointing out that there are already incinerators in Avonmouth and Swindon.
“If we have one in Avonmouth, why do we need one in Westbury?” said cllr Sheila Gore speaking at the town council planning committee meeting earlier this month.
It was also highlighted at the meeting by Westbury resident and representative for the campaign group Westbury Gasification Group/ No Westbury Incinerator, Nadia Evans, that the Swindon incinerator accepts rubbish from locations up to two-hours away – a parameter that Westbury sits well within.
Councillors also overwhelmingly felt that more should be done to encourage people to reduce the amount of waste they produce, rather than build incinerators to burn waste – a move that gives “no incentive” to change people’s opinions.
“Incinerators have come about as we produce far too much waste,” said cllr Paul Horton. “And if we then deal with that waste by burning it, we then have to continue producing too much waste in order to keep feeding the incinerator.
“And actually we need to be reducing our waste dramatically. So actually creating more incinerators means we have to continue producing more and more waste, which is counter-productive to what we should be doing.”
Cllr Anne Hills added that incinerators are also a “disincentive” for the producers of plastic, explaining that more “virgin plastic’ needs to be produced to replace what is being burned.
Plans for the traditional ‘energy from waste’ incinerator has attracted huge opposition from Westbury residents, Westbury Town Council and other nearby town and parish councils including Warminster Town Council, Trowbridge Town Council, North Bradley Parish Council, and Bratton Parish Council. MP for South West Wiltshire Andre Murrison, who has described the plans as a “disaster for Westbury”.
The public consultation on the plans closed on Tuesday 22nd September. A decision by Wiltshire Council is expected by the end of November.
