City council accused of 'playing down' chance to question waste plan

Trusted article source icon
Saturday, September 04, 2010
Profile image for This is Derbyshire

This is Derbyshire

PLANNING officials criticised the way Derby City Council publicised part of a public inquiry into a controversial waste treatment plant, it has been revealed.

Waste firm Resource Recovery Solutions has signed a contract with the city and county councils to deal with Derbyshire's waste for the next 27 years.

A proposed waste heat treatment plant in Sinfin Lane is part of the firm's plans.

But RRS's planning application was rejected by the city council after campaigners raised concerns that emissions from the plant could harm people's health.

RRS appealed, forcing the decision to go to a public inquiry, starting on Tuesday. That will see the unusual situation of the council fighting an application which is key to its own waste disposal strategy.

Campaigners have now criticised the council for "playing down" a two-day drop-in session for the public to ask questions.

And an e-mail from the Planning Inspectorate, which overseas the appeal, has revealed it was also unhappy with the council. It said: "The [planning] inspector has requested that I ask the council to re-advertise and re-publicise the two public drop-in sessions in the format set out in her draft.

"This is because the council's version does not give the correct start and finish times, nor does it say what people are to do if they want to speak for more than 20 minutes, nor does it say what to do if they can't come to either of the public sessions, nor where the plans can be inspected. Please can you treat this as a matter of urgency, and put something on your website as well."

Councillor Robin Turner, who represents Sinfin, said: "They got the original advertisement wrong. I think the council wants to cause confusion over this"

Simon Bacon, a member of Sinfin, Spondon Against Incineration, accused the council of playing down the public sessions.

But a city council spokesman said: "There is no set number of people who can speak. The plan is when members of the public arrive we will take their names and they can stand up and speak one after another. I would anticipate each person will not speak for very long. These are not 'expert witnesses', simply members of the public who wish to express an opinion."

He said the city council had been as open and transparent as possible.

He said: "The inquiry has been widely publicised by means of three press adverts, letters sent to everyone who wrote to us expressing an opinion about the proposal, site notices, details on our website and documents made available at Sinfin Library."

Mr Turner urged people to attend the public sessions at Derby's Council House on Wednesday, September 15, from 9.30am to 5pm; and St Stephen's Church Hall, Sinfin Lane, on Thursday, September 16, from 6.30pm to 9pm.

The plant would use a process called gasification – treating refuse with heat, producing gas which is then burned to provide power, and turning the waste into ash. It would deal with 180,000 tonnes of household waste a year.

23
Tweet this article
Report

23 Comments

  • Profile image for This is Derbyshire

    by Zak Donnelly, Ilkeston

    Tuesday, September 07 2010, 3:46PM

    “No matter what is burned or incinerated, there will be products of combustion and products of incomplete combustion, that will render the air in the vicinity of the plant pretty undesirable to breathe, The major product of complete combustion is of course Carbon Dioxide (CO2), and incomplete combustion is Carbon Monoxide, (CO, is a very toxic and highly poisonous gas) as well as Sulphur Dioxides, Nitrogen Dioxide, Oxides of Nitrogen,ect,ect, but because there is no way of knowing just what chemical compounds are going to be burned, there will be a cocktail of extremely toxic and highly poisonous gasses that will be emitted through the exhaust system, gasses like Cyanide, Arsenic,Strychnine and a whole range of chemical compounds that change their chemical appearance's once heated or mixed with other chemical compounds that are exposed to heat. The filters used are an effective block to some hydrocarbon compounds that are freely available in today's "City Air", as diesel particulates forms readily in a "City Air" environment as with PM 10s that are part of diesel emmitted exhaust gasses, The people of Derby and Nottingham are running the gauntlet of everyday life with emissions from exhausts, and now incinerator plants that will make the environment even more hostile towards the human race seems inevitable, because of the elected empty heads who just wont listen to the people who live in the vicinity of the proposed plant and who simply dont want it there, my proposal would be to fill in the Opencast pits that have ceased working, when they have extracted all the coal, just put a couple of million tons of waste in the hole then re-cover it with the surface dirt stored when first extractions were started,and as there are more and more Opencast pits being planned throughout the country (as a result of Thatchers pits closures) to bolster our depleted indigenous coal stocks for our power stations on top of the 52 million tons imported last year.”

  • Profile image for This is Derbyshire

    by David Gale, Derby

    Monday, September 06 2010, 9:42AM

    “@Andy - I'm puzzled as to why you would still be asking for alternatives to incineration when you've been given them.

    Now one for you: can you explain why so many authorities that intitiated incineration contracts are now desperately trying to get out of them, and why so many authorities have put a stop on future incinerator development?

    Quite apart from the huge environmental issues, the logic of the current development is that local authorities will be competing for each other's waste in an effort to avoid swingeing penalties if they come up short. Where's the incentive to reduce waste at source? The incinerator operators are placed in a 'win / win' situation on the back of tax-payers' investment.

    My personal message to the local authority is clear: "You may not use my money for that purpose". Our council chamber has agreed by blocking planning permission. Now we see an undemocratic process, paid for by the tax-payer, to further a policy advocated by national political parties both of which are in the pay of the incinerator industry.”

  • Profile image for This is Derbyshire

    by Penny, Five Lamps

    Monday, September 06 2010, 1:51AM

    “Andy,
    Frankly this subject is far too important to be personal about other contributors and in particular a very valued stalwart in this campaign like Peter. However a constructive dialogue is always good but not taking the first opportunity to snipe at others.
    It has now gone well past the stage for public meetings as we enter a four week period of a Public Inquiry where time is allowed for the public to give their own views.
    The lead does need to come from top down in stopping wasteful manufacture, the wasting of finite resources like there is no tomorrow and reducing waste. That we are all responsible there is no doubt but building incinerators anywhere are not the answer either (this is not & never has been about siting it elsewhere) but you can be damned sure that they wouldn't of dared to have proposed an incinerator in the more affluent Derby Wards oh no. Incinerators only serve to perpetuate more waste (out of sight out of mind attitude) they are not the solution. It seems pretty obvious to me that the incinerator companies rely on us to produce more waste so that it can feed the gargantuan appetite of the incinerator. Some 200 lorry trips a day travelling from the County as well! So it would appear it is not in their (incinerator companies or governments) interest to encourage meaningful directives like the reduction, reuse and recycle philosophy unless someone knows different.

    We have to continue to battle this one out and I haven¿t even mentioned the toxic filth it will be spewing out.”

  • Profile image for This is Derbyshire

    by Simon, Blagreaves, Derby

    Sunday, September 05 2010, 10:46PM

    “Andy,
    Peter Ambler is a fine soldier in our fight against this proposal.
    On the subject of a viable alternative Vital Earth is already a viable alternative producing an award winning compost from the waste of Derby and Derbyshire Dales. A number of county areas dont currently recycle food waste or plastics so the waste involved isnt even fully recycled but then it still wouldnt be fully recycled because some wont recycle ! would they do so if paid to do so via something like recycle bank ?
    The councils of Derby and Derbyshire will benefit financially from this incineration plant through potential ROC payments and even maybe the sale of electricity which the new government has just granted councils the benefit of doing.
    Waste reduction is an important aspect but just look at what the new government are doing. They are talking about zero waste which is great but what they actually mean is zero waste to landfill ie burning the rest for energy - this simply supports the throw away society we are currently in and does not address the real issue.”

  • Profile image for This is Derbyshire

    by Andy, Derby

    Sunday, September 05 2010, 9:01PM

    “Yet more valid points everyone, but still none that offer a VIABLE alternative to dealing with the waste we ALL contribute to. NIMBYs, NIABYs - a new one to me mind but good! - or anyone else with a care, must encourage those charged with dealing with waste to come up with something better. Reducing the watse in the first place, making recycling easier and getting central Government to take a proper role in national waste management, rather than local non-expert councillors taking ill-advised decisions, may be a good way ahead.
    So I urge all to gotot he public meetings and hear all sides of the argument. Don't invite Peter Rambler, Rams Fan and co though if you want something useful to come of them other tham more hot air vented to atmosphere!”

        Add your comments

        max 4000 characters
         
         
         
         
         
         

        Tell us about your area

        Got some interesting news? Write about it and let your whole community know.

          Write an article