In an article entitled Telford & Wrekin Council rejects Granville incinerator the BBC reports from the planning committee meeting as all eight members of the Plans Board voted to reject Sita’s Granville incinerator proposal.

Telford & Wrekin Head of Planning Michael Barker took two hours and five minutes to outline his recommendations – concluding that, on-balance, councillors should reject the application.

Mr Barker claimed the incinerator is unnecessary for the treatment of local waste and that it would be bad for the look of the area. He suggested that there are better sites elsewhere in Telford.

Mr Barker believed an incinerator at Granville would prevent the council from developing the area in the way they want in the future, and that it could have an impact on Telford’s existing recycling plans.

According to BBC Shropshire’s Andy Giddings, the recommendation to councillors from council officers is to refuse Sita UK planning permission for five main reasons:

• it’s not needed for the treatment of local waste;
• it would be bad for the look of the area;
• it would prevent them from developing the area in the way they want in the future;
• it could have an impact on Telford’s existing recycling plans; and
• there are better sites elsewhere.

Robert Saunders, Co-ordinator of Telford Friends of the Earth, said:

We congratulate the Plans Board councillors for this positive decision to reject an incinerator and their comments supporting a move to far higher levels of recycling and composting.

The report made by Michael Barker, Head of Planning & Transport, highlighted the Council’s intentions to significantly increase recycling and the opportunity to treat food waste in an anaerobic digester.

We are however concerned at comments that there are preferable sites elsewhere in Telford. Telford Friends of the Earth opposes incineration at any location in Telford & Wrekin and also Shropshire.

We positively support introducing a weekly food waste collection service in Telford for anaerobic digestion – enabling the sustainable production of heat and power and also a soil conditioner that can benefit our local farmers.

The Council report highlighted the development of new anaerobic digestion capacity locally, for example at Gnosall, Staffordshire, and Harper Adams, Edgmond.

Friends of the Earth has been campaigning locally for many years to boost recycling and composting rates to levels that are already achieved elsewhere in Britain and abroad.

Please note the coverage in the Shropshire Star which anticipated the Plans Board decision.

Vision 2026
It is worth keeping in clear view the Telford & Wrekin Partnership refreshed Vision 2026 for “a sustainable green community”:

We want the Borough to lead the way as a ‘green community’ following the principle of ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’. It will be a place with the highest quality sustainable environment…and local communities are living a more sustainable way of life. Our approach to recycling and the reuse of materials will make us a national leader – a zero-waste community.

The Shropshire star is reporting Joy as burner bid is binned as:

Thousands of campaigners were celebrating today after winning their battle against controversial plans for an incinerator in Telford.

Planners last night unanimously threw out the Sita UK scheme for the waste plant saying it was in the wrong place and would ruin the landscape. The proposals were for an energy-from-waste plant to run 24 hours, seven days a week, next to the Granville landfill site at Redhill. The incinerator would have dealt with 62,000 tonnes of waste.

The decision on the application by SITA UK Ltd will be made at a special meeting of the Council’s Plans Board on Monday 7 December 2009 at 6pm.

A report to councillors highlights a number of reasons for officers recommending the plans are refused.

These include:
· The scheme would encroach into the Green Network and be visually harmful to the open character of the urban fringe;
· It would have a negative impact upon the future recreation value of the area once the landfill site has been restored to landscaped green space;
· The scheme has the potential to undermine Government and council objectives of minimising waste and would prejudice the progress of a preferred waste management strategy for the borough.
· The proposed development would be premature to any emerging waste strategy and policies and there is sufficient capacity elsewhere in the West Midlands to process the Borough’s waste in the short term until a strategy is produced.
· Even if there were a need, officers consider that there are preferable alternative sites.

SITA’s application is for a plant that would process around 62,000 tonnes of waste per year on land next to the Community Recycling Centre and landfill site at Granville. The proposed incinerator would operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Council has received over 250 letters of objection from local residents, and a petition of 58 signatures against the scheme. Objections have also been received from Friends of the Earth, TelfordPAIN local action group, local Parish Councils and MPs Mark Pritchard and David Wright. Local residents were particularly concerned about potentially harmful emissions from the chimney.

Council Leader Andrew Eade said: “The Council has to produce a waste management strategy for the borough to help reduce the amount of waste produced, increase recycling and only consider landfill as a last resort.

“EfW facilities are just one of the options and in pursuing a strategy we have said we will be looking at various technologies with the principal aims of minimising waste and maximising recycling.

“Until we do, officers consider that there is enough capacity at other waste treatment facilities in the West Midlands that could take Telford & Wrekin’s municipal waste in the short term.

“This application has helped raise many issues on the future of waste disposal for the borough and we now have the opportunity to explore all the viable alternatives in more detail.”

TelfordPAIN

Formed in October ’08, we are group of concerned local residents living in the Telford area who care about our local environment and the air our children breathe. Our purpose is to raise awareness and stop the construction of the proposed waste Incinerator which is to be built adjacent to the existing Granville Landfill Site, less than 2 miles north-east of Telford Town Centre.

TelfordPAIN has enjoyed good press and TV coverage since its inception and continues to campaign and look for fresh, innovative ways of getting its campaign message across to the Telford public.

Left to Right: Jackie Hickman (TelfordPAIN), Cllr Nigel Dugmore (Ward Councillor for Muxton), Stephen Pessall (TelfordPAIN Co-founder), Robert Saunders (Telford Friends of the Earth), Colin Ross (TelfordPAIN)

Telford & Wrekin (T&W) planning officers have confirmed that the incinerator planning application hearing will be held on MONDAY 7th DECEMBER (venue and times to be confirmed).

TelfordPAIN have formally requested the opportunity to address T&W planning board members at the meeting to represent the views of their members but have been advised that this will not be possible.

Cllr Nigel Dugmore (pictured above) has voiced his objection to the incinerator from the outset. As a consequence, he will not be able to vote at the hearing, but he will be allowed to speak at the hearing to address the plans board members.

TelfordPAIN were pleased to meet with Cllr Dugmore and to present him with their official objection document. TelfordPAIN are now depending on Cllr Dugmore to represent their views and those of the thousands of signatories to their petition at the incinerator plans board meeting.

To listen to Incinerator Blues visit the hotrod55rocks myspace site.

HOT ROD 55 is based in Shropshire, and is influenced by the likes of 1950’s rock and roll stars Gene Vincent and Jerry Lee Lewis. These boys reportedly “whip up a storm with their dynamite and slick delivery of some of the greatest rockabilly and rock and roll songs ever to grace the planet”. Including their own original material, they tear through old songs with a modern twist and perform new songs in a rockabilly style. The band comprise on Vocals: Johnny Casino, Guitar: Johnny Blue, Bass: Richie Vincent, Drums “The Colonel”

Incinerator Blues is a catchy rhythm and blues song, and questions the effects of incineration to manage household waste. With cheeky lyrics parodying a girlfriend who smokes too much, the song makes a serious point about the effects of burning waste.

Bass player Richie Vincent says:

We all live in “The Shire” as we affectionately call it, and love it here, the cleaner the air is the better for all! We hope the song strikes a chord with people and encourages them to look into the subject more deeply.

Planning permission is being sought by SITA UK to build the incinerator at the Granville Landfill Site in Redhill, Telford, close to thousands of homes and several schools. Local residents, so incensed with the plans, have formed the action group, TelfordPAIN, (Protest Against Incinerator Now), and are encouraging residents across the area to support their protest.

Their spokesman, who lives in Priorslee close to the proposed site said:

Incinerator Blues is a great song. It gets across a very serious message in a light hearted and enjoyable way. Our experience at TelfordPAIN is that people are very concerned about the negative health effects of the proposed incinerator.

TelfordPAIN was set up in October of this year by group of concerned residents living in Telford who care about their local environment and the air their children breathe. Their purpose is to raise awareness and stop the construction of the proposed waste incinerator which is to be built adjacent to the existing Granville Landfill Site, less than 2 miles north-east of Telford Town Centre and close to thousands of homes and several schools. TelfordPAIN has enjoyed good press and TV coverage since its inception and continues to campaign and look for fresh, innovative ways of getting its campaign message across to the Telford public.

Read why The Guardian voted Incinerator Blues “one of the best eco-protest songs” here.

Incinerator blues – lyrics

INCINERATOR BABY
WELL YOU’RE GIVING ME THE BLUES
I CAN SEE YOUR SMOKE FOR MILES
NOW YOU’VE GONE AND LIT THE FUSE
YOUR HEAVY METAL PARTICLES DESCEND UPON MY FRIENDS
YOUR TOXIC FALL OUT HONEY JUST A DRIVES ME ROUND THE BEND

INCINERATOR BABY
IT’S MAKING MY PULSE RACE
DO YOU KNOW WHAT HARM YOU’RE DOING
WHEN YOU BLOW UPON MY FACE?
YOUR CHEMICAL BREATH COULD BRING ABOUT AN EARLY DEATH
I’M SHOUTING OUT ABOUT IT BUT IT SEEMS YOU MIGHT BE DEAF

SO WHAT THEN COULD BE BETTER
THAT YOU ARE BURNING ALL MY LETTERS
YOU SMOKE, I CHOKE!
I’M FEELING KIND OF WEAK
THE END OF EVOLUTION
COULD BE CAUSED BY YOUR POLLUTION

INVISIBLE POISON
FROM HERE TO THE HORIZON

REPEAT VERSE 1

“Incinerator Blues” is copyright Hot Rod 55

Telford Friends of the Earth is holding a public meeting on the proposed waste incinerator at Granville with a special guest speaker and representatives from Telford PAIN (Protest Against Incinerator Now). This will be at 7.15 for 7.30pm, Wednesday 19 November, at Turreff Hall, Turreff Avenue, Donnington TF2 8HG.

SITA and Cyclerval (the planning applicant and partner) were invited to speak but declined the invitation. A representative from Telford & Wrekin Council will be in attendance but not appearing as a formal speaker or panel member.

Keith Kondakor, winner this autumn of the national Friends of the Earth Earthmover Award, will speak on the many reasons to reject this planning application. Telford PAIN representatives will provide arguments directly from the local communities against the incinerator, followed by a Question & Answers session.

The background to the planning application is the Council pursuing a waste management contract for residual waste (red wheelie bin) treatment. This flows from the Council’s waste management strategy which assumes household waste growing 3% every year from 2006/7 to 2010/11, 2.5% each year to 2016/17 and 1.5% each year to 2020/21. In reality Telford & Wrekin’s total municipal waste in 2000/1 was 88,675 tonnes and in 2007/8 had fallen to 85,997 tonnes. Residual waste was 81,316 falling to 53,820 tonnes due to increasing recycling and composting.

Robert Saunders, Telford FOE Co-ordinator, said:

The proposal is based on ever-increasing household waste in Telford & Wrekin yet national average municipal solid waste growth was negative in each of the last 6 years –and has fallen in Telford too! It also assumes Telford & Wrekin Council achieving a 40% recycling & composting rate in 2020/21 yet it achieved 36.5% in 2007/8 – with the community’s support – and this will increase further. National government requires at least 40% by 2010, 45% by 2015 and 50% by 2020 so the proposal has no logical basis.

Supermarkets are playing their part in tackling waste through the Courtauld Agreement which has objectives:
• To design out packaging waste growth by 2008 (already achieved: zero growth);
• To deliver absolute reductions in packaging waste by 2010; and
• To identify ways to tackle the problem of food waste.

Local consultation by the Council for its waste management strategy revealed a large majority opposed the siting of an incinerator in the Borough.

The BBC’s Politics Show will be filming TelfordPAIN in Telford this week, for a programme due to broadcast on Sunday 16th November.

Visit the TelfordPAIN website for more…