THE Friends of the Earth environmental campaign group has urged Wiltshire Council to revoke its approval for Northacre Renewable Energy’s municipal waste incinerator at Westbury.

The company - part of Swindon-based Hills Group - wants to build an advanced thermal treatment plant on the Northacre Industrial Estate.

Campaigners against the scheme say it could spew out toxic fumes that could potentially be harmful to human health.

Stephen Eades, on behalf of Wiltshire and North Wiltshire Friends of the Earth, presented evidence to the Wiltshire Council cabinet asking for the plans to be revoked.

Council leader Philip Whitehead, who was chairing the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, January 7, said it was not possible to reverse their planning decision.

Mr Eades said afterwards: “Wiltshire Council is still ignoring the views of a very substantial and widespread body of local opinion in the Westbury area that an incinerator will be seriously damaging to people’s health.

“The shame for the Council lies not in that it made the wrong planning decision last year. Rather, the Council’s shame lies in its decision to continue to deny the evidence behind that wrong decision. It is time for the Council to think again.

“The Council has today once again turned down that opportunity, but many in Westbury and throughout Wiltshire are still waiting for the right decision to be made.”

Mr Eades had sent the evidence by email on January 2 to every elected member of Wiltshire Council. His move followed an exchange of correspondence in November last year with Cllr Whitehead in which Mr Eades called on the council to reverse the January 2019 planning consent.

Cllr Whitehead replied to Mr Eades that this was not possible, a position which the Leader re-affirmed last week on behalf of the Council’s cabinet.

The council approved the plans for the ATT gasification incinerator in January 2019, over-turning an earlier decision in July 2018 to refuse planning consent.

Mr Eades said a large number of people from Westbury and the surrounding area had objected to the plans.

Westbury Town Council and neighbouring Parish Councils have also objected to the scheme.