Burning issue

By Ian Metherell, Lib Dem candidate for Grendon Underwood in the June 4th election (Bucks County Council.)

The burning issue is the County Council's impending decision whether to locate an incinerator in our rural Aylesbury Vale. They've postponed a decision several times, until after the elections on June 4th are over, probably realising the opposition that will be stirred up when they announce the go-ahead!

At the moment the prospect is that WRG, who run the Calvert Landfill facility, will be announced as the County's preferred partner. If so they intend to build an Energy from Waste [EfW] incinerator at Lower Greatmoor Farm, between Grendon Underwood and Quainton.

The problems that would cause to the surrounding area are many and worrying:

First, there would considerable construction traffic while the incinerator was built (which would itself take around 3 years), affecting Edgcott, Grendon Underwood and Calvert Green residents most keenly;

Secondly, the 96 metre tall chimney would be an eyesore visible from miles around, including Steeple Claydon, Quainton and Hogshaw;

Thirdly, there would be at least 100 extra heavy goods vehicles per day bringing waste to the plant for processing - and so the whole road network including the A41 from Waddesdon - would be badly affected.

Finally, there is considerable concern among scientists about the safety of these incinerators, despite the claims of the manufacturers - especially the presence of minute particles and vapour in the gases expelled from the chimney to drift across the countryside; and in the ash that is created.

Whilst the incinerator technology may have advantages on cost grounds over other technologies, and might arguably create less environmental damage than land-fill, I am concerned about the environmental damage caused by the long distance disposal of waste transported in large lorries as envisaged by Bucks CC. They also recognise that these plants are not best sited on greenfield land.

Instead localised recycling close to source, supported by increased awareness and action about recycling, should be carried out to as great a degree as possible. Plus we should lobby to cut down on the amount of packaging, which will curb the problem at source. This will minimise both the transportation of waste and the volume and type of material disposed of. There should also be a proper investigation of the option of sharing facilities with neighbouring counties rather than purely seek to do our own thing in Bucks - which may then mean no new facilities need to be built anywhere in this county.

In the new recessionary climate it's time to review the County's pro-EfW stance. The economics of the whole exercise need to be re-examined before any decision is made. By the time the planning application is submitted it will be too late to affect the County Council's decision, as their choice of partner will have already pre-determined the site.

A packed meeting of over 200 people took place at Grendon Underwood Village Hall on Thursday, organised by the Stop Aylesbury Vale Incinerator group. They heard evidence from Geoff Twiss, the Friends of the Earth local spokesman on the environment. He pointed out that there is a major gap between the County Council's and WRG's predictions of the tonnes of waste they expect to be processed. BCC forecasts 200,000 while WRG needs 300,000 tonnes a year for the incinerator to be profitable. So presumably the balance of 100,000 tonnes would be imported from outside the County, causing further traffic problems.

Ian Metherell

2 Forge Close

Marsh Gibbon

Printed by Aylesbury Liberal Democrats. Promoted by Geoff Twiss on behalf of Ian Metherell (Liberal Democrat) all at Reform House, 6 Castle St, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP20 2RE.