Wednesday 28th October 2009

Proposals for a massive waste incinerator at St Dennis are contrary to local and national planning policy.

Having been turned down by County planners, backers of the massive waste incinerator have appealed to the planning inspectorate to overturn the refusal.

The planning appeal will be held in March 2010 and local MP Matthew Taylor has written to the Planning Inspectorate asking to speak at the meeting.

In his letter to the Planning Inspectorate Mr Taylor outlines the reasons why he and numerous other members of the local community have opposed the plans.

*The land in question was not intended for such a large waste development according to the local plan.

*Regional planning rules Waste in the South West must be treated as close to the point of origin as possible – the ‘proximity principle’: if this incinerator went ahead, lorries would have to take round trips of up to 140 miles to deliver waste to the incinerator.

*The plans would disrupt greenfield land, in an area full of disused derelict former industrial sites.
Because the proposed site is next to a site of Special Area of Conservation the chimney has to be much higher.

*The development would completely dominate the local village of St Dennis and would be visible from local historic sites

*The plans are not forward thinking enough; by the time the incinerator is built the technology will be out of date

*As people reduce their waste by recycling there will not be enough domestic waste from Cornwall to keep the incinerator running economically.

Commenting, Matthew Taylor MP said:
"I have consistently opposed this incinerator as I simply do not think it is the right long term solution for Cornwall's waste management. When the original financing for this was agreed incineration was a last resort; now it is being presented as the only option.

"The local planning committee weighed up the evidence for and against this incinerator and decided against. Now the national body must not ride roughshod over the wishes of local people and uphold that decision."