So some members of the Planning Committee that will make the planning permission decision about the incinerator are off to Ireland to see an incinerator there (Citizen, 17th Nov 2012)

But a trip to Ireland doesn't reveal that incinerators are THE MOST EXPENSIVE alternative to landfill. It doesn't reveal that the gate fee at plants using better technology in Avonmouth and Birmingham is between £20-£50 cheaper a tonne - a saving of around £100m over the lifetime of the project. It doesn't reveal that the South West is predicted to have more than 300,000 tonnes over-capacity of residual waste facilities by 2015/16, even before the Javelin Park incinerator is taken into account and built. And it doesn't reveal what a blot on the landscape the Javelin Park incinerator would be next to the AONB. 

Why haven't the Planning Committee been to see the plant at Avonmouth, so that they can get an idea of what we COULD have in Gloucestershire - something smaller, that cost 10 x less to build, that will produce the equivalent amount of electricity whilst reclaiming 50% of resources and emitting fewer toxins? It's a no brainer. GCC should stop sleep-walking into this expensive mistake.