Lib Dems call for Incineration to be dropped from county waste plans

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 19th Sep 2007

Lib Dems say no to incineration in Norfolk

Norfolk County Council's Liberal Democrat group today called for a permanent end to discussions about using Incineration as a means of dealing with the County's waste.

County Councillor, Tim East, who is already known locally for his vociferous opposition to proposals for an Incinerator in his home patch of Costessey, appealed to leading officers and councillors to rule out Incineration as an option before the process of procuring the County's second major waste contract begins, and called for a major scrutiny exercise to look into what the best alternatives would be. Mr East said:

"With environmentally friendly alternative technologies available which don't pose a threat to public health, it seems crackers to continue along the path of burning waste as part of Norfolk's strategy for the disposal of waste."

Cllr. East drew attention to the public's hostile reaction to previous proposals for a waste Incinerator near Norwich and the fact that no objections have so far been raised to plans for a Mechanical Biological Treatment plant at the same site.

In response to subsequent assurances from council officers that councillors will be fully involved in the debate about the future waste contract at a later date Cllr. East commented:

"We need to plan constructively for the future to remedy our waste problems, not look to the past for an outdated technology, which resorts to burning everything. Local disposal outlets enshrined in a Zero Waste Recycling Charter should also be part and parcel of a comprehensive package to positively exclude Incineration."