Interesting Stuff - Westbury Incinerator
This page provides WCA members with a selection of interesting documents that are relevant the Westbury Incinerator. We continue to develop this part of the website welcome suggestions from members of the WCA - please send us any by clicking on the button below. There is now a forum page dedicated to this subject where you can leave you comments for others to see.
Westbury Gasification Action Group /
No Westbury Incinerator
WGAG/NWI ( Westbury Gasification Action Group/No Westbury Incinerator ) are a grassroots community led campaign group that are opposing the proposals to build an Energy from Waste plant or incinerator in Westbury. Formed in 2018, alongside other campaigners they opposed Hills/Northacre Renewable Energy's application to build an ATT plant on Northacre. After petitions, media coverage, lobbying and engagement they were successful in having this application refused!
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Subsequently approval was gained in 2019 but no incinerator built. This remains the case to this day.
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Hills/Northacre Renewable Energy have since put in two more applications, one for a grid connection to Frome ( note approved cross party by Tory and Lib Dem councillors ) and most recently in 2020 for a bigger incinerator on site with different technology.
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WGAG/NWI continues to raise and reflect Westbury people's concerns and those of the wider county. The group is non hierarchical and runs with environmental and social concerns at its heart.
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https://www.facebook.com/groups/181924519208839
https://twitter.com/westburygag?lang=en
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Read the Wiltshire Council Planning Objection HERE.
Read the WGAG Submission Document HERE.
Stop the Incinerator - Action Needed Now!
Despite its declared intention to make Wiltshire carbon neutral by 2030, Wiltshire Council is about to consider a planning application to build a huge new waste incinerator in Westbury. Action is needed right now to stop this going ahead, and WCA is urging all its members to write to both the Environment Agency and their local Wiltshire Councillors to oppose it.
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The Environment Agency is responsible for licensing the proposed plant, but is limited by law in the conditions it is able to impose on any operating licence. In regard to atmospheric emissions, it has no powers to limit CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions, which are the principal cause of climate change. Nor does it have any power to limit emissions of tiny micro-particles smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter. (A micron is one millionth of a metre, and particles below 2.5 microns are the most dangerous to human health). Read more...
Environment Agency (EA) Public Consultation on whether to issue an Environmental Permit to the Westbury incinerator proposal.
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The EA public consultation is open to submissions and the deadline has been extended to21st February 2021. The Env. Permit considers process operational matters, i.e. how the plant operates in terms of its emissions and the standard to which those should are legally required to conform. All other considerations are planning issues and the concern of Wiltshire Council (WC). The EA has defined the difference between its responsibilities and those of WC in two documents, both attached.
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Here is a link to Stephen Eades' paper: CLICK TO READ
Wiltshire Council Climate Team response - December 2020
Wiltshire Council's Climate Team headed up by Ariane Crampton has been working with The University of Exeter and, as a result. have submitted the following comment which can be seen on this LINK.
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There are many other documents and responses which can be seen on Wiltshire Councils website on this LINK
How to make your voice heard
The new application is likely to be decided by the Strategic Planning Committee, which has a conservative party majority membership. People can send their views, giving as far as possible planning related points to the chair of the Strategic Planning Committee and its members. Membership as follows.
Click on the name for email addresses:
· Cllr Fleur de Rhé-Philipe MBE (Chairman)
· Cllr Christopher Newbury (Vice-Chairman)
People can also write to the Wiltshire Council Cabinet, led by Cllr Philip Whitehead:
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Leader of the Council Cllr Philip Whitehead
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Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, Heritage, Arts, Tourism, Housing and Communities and Climate Change Cllr Richard Clewer
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Cabinet Member for Finance, Procurement and Commercial Investment Cllr Pauline Church
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Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Skills Cllr Laura Mayes
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Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Public Protection Cllr Simon Jacobs
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Cabinet Member for Spatial Planning, Development Management and Investment - Cllr Toby Sturgis
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Cabinet Member for IT, Digitalisation, Operational Assets, Leisure and Libraries - Cllr Ian Blair-Pilling
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Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Waste - Cllr Bridget Wayman
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Do send questions to Full Council which will be on 21st July (questions need to be in several days before). Write to: Elliott, Kieran Kieran.Elliott@wiltshire.gov.uk. - For more information about questions to be asked on 21st July click Here
And send an email to the chair of the Climate Emergency Task Group Wright, Graham Graham.Wright@wiltshire.gov.uk
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letter from Dr Andrew Murrison MP to Mr N Bennett, Northacre Renwable Energy
Here you will find an open letter from Andrew Murrison MP regarding his concerns regarding revised plans for the Westbury Incinerator Click on the PDF file to read the letter.
Slides used by NRE at a an online 'consultation' meeting on 7th July
Here are the slides that were used by NRE at an online 'public consultation' meeting held on 7th July 2020
BoA councillors unit against local incinerator plans
At the recent BoA Full Council meeting on 26th June, Town Councillors voted unanimously to oppose changes to the proposed Waste Incinerator at Westbury. Despite previous objections by many Town and Parish councils in the local area, including Bradford on Avon Town Council, and an initial rejection by Wiltshire Council, the incinerator was approved on Appeal last year.
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Click HERE to read more
Campaigners say they are "horrified" by the new proposals
Here is a link to an interesting news article in the Wiltshire Times