Town council lends its support to stop Westbury incinerator

MELKSHAM Town Council has lent its support to a campaign asking the Secretary of State to ‘call in’ a decision made by Wiltshire Council to allow a “carbon-belching” waste incinerator to be built in Westbury. 

The application by Northacre Renewable Energy (NREL) to build a traditional ‘energy from waste’ incinerator – a U-turn on their previously approved application to build a gasification plant, using ‘greener’ incinerating technology – was given planning permission by Wiltshire Council’s Strategic Planning Committee in June. Members voted 7 to 4. 

This was despite over 2,100 written objections and opposition from 18 local councils, including Melksham Town Council. 

There was also opposition from Arla Foods – whose dairy factory is adjacent to the proposed incinerator site, employing 250 people – who said that the potential for emissions and odours from the incinerator could force the dairy to shut down its operations. 

Westbury locals have used words such as “shameful”, “appalling”, and “morally obscene” to describe the decision. Whilst Westbury Town Council launched a campaign last month appealing for people across the South West to write to the Secretary of State for the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick, asking him to examine the incinerator decision at central government level. 

“Remember, this isn’t just Westbury’s problem, it’s everyone’s problem,” said Westbury Town Council.  

Westbury’s MP Dr Andrew Murrison, has also written to the Secretary of State asking him to ‘call in’ the decision for review and overturn it.   

And at a meeting last month, Melksham Town Council agreed to be a ‘co-signatory’ with other local councils on a letter written by the Wiltshire Climate Alliance to the Secretary of State.  The letter highlights the potential risk of a “local employment crisis” if Arla Foods were to close its factory in Westbury; and raises concern about the incinerator’s impact on climate change and how it does not support the government’s ambition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 68% by the end of the decade. 

“Effectively what we have here is a 20th Century solution to a 21st Century problem, when actually we need to be thinking about technology that guarantees we have a 22nd Century,” said mayor cllr Jon Hubbard at the meeting last month. 

“The government has a very clear vision to be carbon net zero by 2050, and Wiltshire Council made a very ambitious challenge to put themselves as carbon net zero by 2030,” said cllr Tom Price who explained that he felt the incinerator has “no home” in plans to tackle climate change.  

The town council also supported Wiltshire Climate Alliance’s concerns about the impact on Arla Foods and the 250 people it employs. Cllr Hubbard highlighted that not only are there 250 jobs at risk, but also the “secondary jobs” that “depend on Arla being there”, including many dairy farms in the local area. 

“There might be a place for this incinerator, it does produce energy, but I think that it is in the wrong place,” said cllr Sue Mortimer about the incinerator’s proposed location next to Arla Foods. 

“We don’t want it near where anyone lives,” added cllr Pat Aves who described the incinerator as using “old-fashioned technology”. 

“Westbury has enough pollution from traffic going through the town,” she continued. 

However, whilst clear that he opposes plans for an incinerator in Westbury, cllr Simon Crundell challenged councillors to think about how the UK manages it waste. He highlighted that a percentage of UK waste is exported abroad, which he said ends up on beaches and in oceans, “toxifying entire ecosystems”. 

“We have an environmental and moral responsibility to deal with this waste here in our country,” said cllr Crundell, “rather than export it abroad.” 

The deadline for letters to Robert Jenrick was Friday 23rd July. If he decides to call in the decision – which would be justified on the basis that the proposal is of national, rather than just local, significance – an inquiry would take place directed by the Planning Inspectorate. The Inspector has to make a report and recommendation to the Secretary of State under the circumstances existing at the time they make it.  

In their objection to the incinerator plans, made in October last year, Melksham town councillors raised concerns about the proposed use of “old” technology to burn waste; the additional HGV vehicles moving through Melksham on the A350 and its impact on the town’s air quality; the high level of CO2 emissions generated from the incinerator; the potential risk of hazardous waste – a by-product of the incinerator – being transported through the town; and how the incinerator does not sit within Wiltshire Council’s declared ‘Climate Emergency’.