WILTSHIRE Council has agreed to hold further meetings to scrutinise the plans for a gasification plant in Westbury, after residents presented a petition signed by more than 1,700 people.

Councillors agreed to hold further meetings with cabinet members from the environment and transport departments after Westbury residents presented the petition and also an informative and comprehensive argument against the gasification plant plans.

The petition was collected in response to Hills Waste’s plans for the gasification plant on the Northacre Industrial Estate, which was granted permission in 2015, with many locals saying they were unaware of the plans.

Since then concerns regarding public health and pollution have grown, as residents fear the original plans have been altered, including increasing the height of the plant.

The petition, which was presented to the overview and scrutiny management committee, asks Wiltshire Council to scrutinise any planning variations that may be submitted by Hills Waste, as well as looking at the plant’s impact on public health and how incineration can be reduced by recycling.

Margaret Cavanna, who worked to launch the petition, said: “We have 1,789 signatures on this petition, that is around eight per cent of the Westbury population.

“But these are not just names on a piece of paper, they are real conversations which we have had with real people who have a high level of anger or concern in regards to the incinerator plans, and they need to be listened to. We are pleased the council has agreed to hold another scrutiny meting to debate the issue further.”

Chairman of the meeting, Cllr Graham Wright, said: “I would like to thank those members of the public who have come to speak to us today.

“We agree to make cabinet members aware of the matter and hold another scrutiny meeting before making a decision.”