Cost Impact

Costs to the Taxpayer

  • The incinerator will cost £500m (half a billion pounds) and be paid for by taxpayers. This represents one of the largest contracts that the County Council has ever entered into
  • There are serious concerns about the council's financial calculations and forecasts of waste production however that present a risk to the taxpayer's of Gloucestershire
  • The council claims that, over the 25 year period, they will save £150 million, as compared to continuing to use landfill, however the council’s forecasts of waste production are seriously flawed, and we estimate that it will in fact cost the taxpayer as much as £105 million. See the Stroud News and Journal reporting this here.
  • However, it will provide huge profits for the contractor and their bankers

Employment

  • This is a massive investment, paid for by us, in a time of recession and yet will provide a mere 30 jobs.
  • Alternative technologies have the potential to create many more jobs e.g. through related expansion of recycling jobs.

Economy and Resources

  • Manufacturing industry executives now regard a shortage of raw materials as the top risk for the manufacturing industry in the UK. They called on the government this year to develop a resource efficiency strategy capable of reusing far more of the vital elements that are currently lost to waste streams1.

1 - full article at www.businessgreen.com

..and the misuse of taxpayers money doesn't end there.....

GCC will need to use up to almost half a million pounds of your taxpayers money to fund its opponent, UBB, in the appeal. GCC signed up to this ridiculous situation by agreeing the contract with UBB before the Planning Decision!! We expect GCC will need to pay around the same again to cover it's own costs to defend the appeal... Responsible use of your money???....we think not!!

Get up in arms - your money up in smoke!!

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