WESTBURY Town Council is to write to Wiltshire Council and the government urging them to defer a decision on a proposed £200 million waste from energy incinerator scheme.

The council wants them to postpone a decision until after the government has completed its consultation on the future of UK incineration and waste.

Westbury councillors issued a statement following an extraordinary meeting on Thursday, April 14 to discuss Northacre Renewable Energy Ltd applications for the scheme and the next steps.

The meeting follows the response from Michael Gove, the secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities, that his department will not ‘call-in’ the incinerator plans.

Following his decision, Wiltshire Council’s strategic planning committee will meet on Wednesday (April 20) to make a final decision on NREL’s application to change the technology for the incinerator from advanced gasification to moving grate combustion.

Campaigners say the waste incinerator will lead to more traffic on the A350 and local roads in Westbury, an increase in air pollution, and be harmful to health CO2 particulates being emitted by the incinerator.

In its statement, the council said: “Westbury Town Council received guidance and advice from our Solicitor, Leigh Day, and a Barrister and, based on this advice, the town council agreed to the following actions:

  1. Westbury Town Council will write to the secretary of state, sharing our disappointment and provide reasons as to why he should look at the application again.
  2. Westbury Town Council will ask our solicitor to write to Andrew Guest, head of development management, this letter is to include the advice from the solicitor, the town council’s previous objections and ask Andrew Guest/Wiltshire Council to defer this decision until after the government have completed their consultation on the future of incineration and waste. The solicitor has also been asked to confirm if there are any other planning objections that should be raised at the Strategic Planning Committee on Wednesday April 20.
  3. Westbury Town Council/mayor will write to/email members of Wiltshire Council planning committee asking them to reconsider their decision, taking into account the Government’s current consultation on incineration and waste.
  4. Westbury Town Council/Mayor to write to the Chair of Wiltshire Council Planning Committee, sharing our objections and asking for the decision to be deferred.

 

The Environment Agency is due to complete its public consultation on Friday, April 22 on NREL’s application for an operating permit for the proposed new facility. The agency has already announced it is “minded” to grant a draft permit.