Local Councillors in Great Aycliffe are celebrating after a plan to build an incinerator in the town were thrown out by the County Council’s planning committee.
Lib Dem Councillor, Michael Stead, (Aycliffe North & Middridge), spoke at the meeting and recommended reasons for refusal which the committee eventually supported.
He explained, “We had to stop this application. It would have damaged the future prosperity of our town, using two hectares of land to build a polluting incinerator but providing only 27 jobs. This site is right next to Hitachi and has the potential to offer hundreds of jobs. I’m delighted the committee listened to my objections and those of other councillors.”
Independent Councillor, Ken Robson, (Aycliffe East), also spoke at the County Planning Committee saying, “As a proud nimby and local Councillor I would like to say that no one in my locality is in favour of this plant, and in fact many are in dread of the toxic emissions which they perceive may be allowed to enter the atmosphere and environment. As a result of the burning of medical and toxic waste.”
Lib Dem Councillor, Nev Jones, also spoke at the meeting saying, “The plant plans to dispose of medical and hazardous waste by incineration on a 24 hour schedule and with initially 30 visits a day delivering between 6am and 10pm. You will have light pollution from lit bays and vehicle headlights. You will have a shocking great 30 metre chimney visible for miles, and there’s the smell.”
Cllr Jones added, “This plant is offering 27 new jobs. This is a fairly paltry return for the massive loss of amenity residents will suffer. I do wonder if southern based business (Norfolk in this case) think that my residents will put up with anything in return for employment.”
It was the issues around the use of the Business Park and the risk to other businesses which eventually led to the rejection of the application in the committee.
Lib Dem Councillor, Craig Martin, a committee member, commented, “I want development on our industrial estates and more jobs but I have to question if this is an acceptable use of the land on this Business Park. We heard the comments from Hitachi, one of the jewels in the crown of employment in the last ten years in this area, we have objections here from them stating that this could harm their work.”
He went on to say, “Changes to the planning rules state that incineration cannot be classified as B2. So we have a Business Park with B2 use. The government has said that you cannot attach incineration on to B2. And so, I recommend refusal as this Business Park is not suitable for an incinerator as per Policy 2, [of the County Durham Plan].”
Councillor Patricia Jopling, (Crook), seconded the motion to refuse the incinerator. One of two Labour Councillors in attendance at the committee supported the incinerator.
Councillor David Boyes, from Easington, commented, “I can’t see a great deal to object about this, so I’m going to support the planning officers recommendation for approval.”
Five Labour Councillors on the committee did not attend the meeting or provide substitutes. Every other Councillor on the committee voted against the application.
After the meeting Councillor Stead commented, “I’m delighted this dirty incinerator application has been thrown out. However I’m also rather concerned that so many Labour Councillors on the committee didn’t show up.”