WARRINGTON North MP Helen Jones is calling for the borough council to “come clean” over its plans for an incinerator in the town.
Helen (right) says the council’s budget consultation document reveals they are still planning an incinerator for the town with a provision of £200,000 each year, for the next three years, to develop an “energy from waste” plant.
She said: “This is an incinerator by another name. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is a duck.
“The council have serious questions to answer. Do they still plan to put an incinerator on Omega? If so, why won’t they say so? If not, where is it going? Residents deserve the truth.”
Labour’s Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Warrington South Nick Bent has also voiced his concern stating: “Local people who live around the Omega site are seriously concerned. Their homes could be blighted by this development and yet no one is telling them what is happening. The council must come clean.
“In addition they have a crazy proposal to close two of the borough’s three recycling centres. This would put even more pressure on the Gatewarth facility at Sankey Bridges and clog up local roads.
“This council’s attitude to the environment really is rubbish!“
But Council leader Ian Marks (pictured left) hit back, accusing the MP and PPC of “scaremongering.”
He said “The reference to an incinerator is pure scaremongering for electioneering purposes. The Council has been very open about its plan to install an ‘energy from waste’ plant somewhere in the borough.
“We consulted the public widely about this. Such a plant would provide combined heat and power and be environmentally very attractive.
“It would be nothing whatsoever like an old style incinerator as the MP and the candidate well know. Alternative sites are being considered as part of our planning process.
“At least the people of Warrington can take some comfort that the MP and the candidate are talking to each other. This is in stark contrast to the two MPs who never talk to one another!”
Incinerator plan rumbles on!
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
4 Comments
It is high time that the council stopped hiding behind “we have consulted the public” argument.
The only consulting that they do is to roll out their plans during a conversation with someone and then use the quote about consulting. The other method that they use is to select a group who they know is up for the idea and consult them.
I have first hand experience of the former, as a colleague and I went to talk to a Head of Department about a matter, got told why something had happened and we were used in a document, as having been consulted.
Councillor Marks is a bit like the pot calling the kettle black, when the parliamentary candidate that he supports hyped up the Titan prison on Omega for electioneering purposes and will no doubt continue to do so.
There are two ways of getting energy from waste. Firstly burning landfill gasses that occur as the waste decomposes on landfill sites. Since the proposed site is not a landfill this cannot be the choice the other is simply to INCINERATE.
Ian Marks simply not stating the obvious and avoiding the words “we are building an incinerator” does not make it any less true.. He said “The reference to an incinerator is pure scaremongering”… well Marks, its not scaremongering if its true!….He also said “”It would be nothing whatsoever like an old style incinerator”….no it would be a “new style” incinerator, therefore an incinerator…thereby proving his previous statement about the scaremongering to be false… The public (such as I) are not as thick as you think we are, we see the truth nowdays..the combover says it all, we cannot trust a man who even lies to himself.
No an ‘energy from waste’ plant would be nothing whatsoever like an old style incinerator,…a damm site more dangerous maybe? Perhaps Mr marks doesn’t want to indulge in ‘scaremongering’ (not before the elections anyway!) by giving us any clues as to which of these ‘attractive’ innovations we are going to be blessed with! Will it be the ones that have unfortunately been found to sponaneously combust? As Manchester and Runcorn seem to be almost ‘sorted’ with their allocation of the ‘master waste plan’ and they don’t seem to be getting the type that is feared causes cancer and birth defects, s’pose we will probably be getting it?????
As Mr Marks thinks they are so ‘attractive’ perhaps he will volunteer to have it in HIS backyard!!!! All this “We consulted the public widely ” we are tired of hearing for when has he ever shown any inclination to take notice of public opinion? If he was really bothered about waste management he would’nt keep spouting such rubbish!!!!!!