Bexley given “renewed confidence” in incinerator fight

The council has said it has “renewed confidence” it can smash the project, which is key to Cory Environmental's 30-year waste disposal contract with the Western Riverside Waste Authority.

” We remain very unhappy about the plan to build such a massive incinerator in an area which we are working hard to regenerate.“
– Cllr Chris Ball, Bexley council
As letsrecycle.com revealed late last night that the Secretary of State, Patricia Hewitt, has “not reached a decision” and is instead inviting parties who gave evidence at last year's public enquiry “to make representations on the possible implications of recent government consultation papers and the government plan which was produced since the enquiry plan” (see letsrecycle.com story).

Writing to the council, Ms Hewitt stated that the inquiry did not reach a conclusion about the effects of the waste policies contained in the new London Plan and did not take into account four consultation papers announced last December.

Fight
Parties have until February 18 to formally give their views on whether the public inquiry on Belvedere should be re-opened. Bexley council has said the Secretary of State is “leaning in our favour” and has vowed to continue its fight “for as long as we need to”.

Council leader Chris Ball said: “We are very encouraged by the news that the Secretary of State is leaning in our favour. We will be giving our strong support to the re-opening of the inquiry and we will go back with renewed confidence that we can defeat the proposal.”

Bexley council is opposing the proposed Belvedere plant on the grounds of its size and concerns that the proposal would hit regeneration in the Thames Gateway.

Massive
Cllr Ball explained: “We remain very unhappy about the plan to build such a massive incinerator in an area which we are working hard to regenerate and to which local residents were vehemently opposed.”

While an official statement from the DTI has not been published regarding Belvedere, the delay in a decision over the plant is thought by some observers to have a political element to it.

The marginal constituency of Bexleyheath and Crayford, located near the proposed incinerator, is believed to be a key Tory target in the election expected this year. With regulations governing general elections, if an election is called for May, any decision as significant as Belvedere is unlikely to be taken by the Secretary of State before the election takes place.