Planning Consultants' Report recommends approval - Actual Decision Due 21st Mar

Report Recommends Approval

You probably have read that Gloucestershire County Council Planning Department's report produced ahead of the Planning Committee meeting scheduled for 21st March recommends granting approval for the incinerator. The report was released on Mon 11th Mar. Absolutely no surprises there, particularly following the BPP consultants debacle..Read the SNJ article here for the context and a reminder of how this report was arrived at.

Don't Panic....Decision Still To Be Made!

The report may recommend approval, as expected, however it is ultimately the councillors that make up the Planning Committee who will will decide at the decision meeting on 21st March. That's why it's crucial to try and influence them at the DEMONSTRATION planned for 14th March and at the meeting itself on 21st. Councillors will be present at both, and need to see the strength of opposition! Please come to the demo and planning meeting to bring the influence YOU can still have on this process and the Planning Committee councillors! Read our essential briefing here.

This isn't a time to panic! We are far from the end of the road, in fact, we are really only just starting out on what could be a long journey. The decision on 21st could go either way and, even after it is made, it could be called in by the Secretary of State. What's more, there is also the possibility of "Judicial Review", which would see legal action being taken to challenge the decision making process.

Take a look at the graphic we've compiled below (click to enlarge). This helps clarify the expected possible outcomes for the Javelin Park Incinerator. The key point to note is that, despite the planners' report recommending approval, we're not even at the first orange diamond on the graphic yet...

Expect a long haul and a drawn out fight that will go to the bitter end!

Other Recent News

* The Citizen article here covering the planners' report, also reminds us of how this process is taking place in Gloucestershire, absurdly, at a time when actually the UK might not need any more incinerators!

* More of the absurd context of the future we could be heading towards: Stroud News & Journal on how a confidential report shows that the majority of waste that would be burnt in the incinerator would be recyclable, compostable or reusable! An environmental disaster in the making. Is this how we want to go forward in Gloucestershire in the 21st century!?

* The Incineration controversy is getting national profile now, being featured in two two national newspapers last weekend...This is a sign of a growing realisation that we have a national controversy on our hands here with so many local authorities in the UK pushing for outdated incineration.

* Time article: references the Gloucestershire behemoth.

* Independent article: "UK incinerator plans? They're just rubbish" - Useful reminder that however advanced the filters, they do not capture all the harmful micro particles..