Welwyn Hatfield Liberal Democrats
Paul Zukowskyj goes to protest as petition is handed in at County Hall
April 10, 2010 12:06 AM
Supporters of "Hatfield Against Incineration" attended a meeting of Herts County Council on March 30th, to protest against the use of New Barnfield for waste treatment and against decisions about waste treatment being left to market forces.
The petition had over 750 signatures, including many from parents of children attending Southfield School. Councillors' attention was drawn to the loss of amenity for Hatfield people if the Resources Library is moved, and to the importance of the wild-life site adjoining New Barnfield and the protected species in the ponds near and on the site. Most importantly, councillors were told of the potential problem of increasing lorry traffic.
Paul Zukowskyj's question was: "Herts CC's waste management strategy states the decision on technology for an alternative to landfill will be left to market forces. Does the council really believe that commercial interests would provide the most appropriate, or indeed safe, waste disposal solution, given their interests may not put the health of Hertfordshire citizens or environment before maximisation of profits?"
A response was made by Robert Gordon, leader of the Council, that "commercial companies have to take environmental factors into account". Paul asked a subsidiary question: "If environmental criteria are important to this council, why have the Greater London Authority excluded mass-burn incineration from their future waste management on environmental grounds?" Robert Gordon simply reiterated his earlier reply.
Questions were asked by Labour, Lib/Dem and Green councillors. Councillor Malcolm Cowan threw doubt on the idea that Welwyn/Hatfield Borough Council has planned to allocate land at New Barnfield for housing, and also drew attention to the strength of the opposition to the use of New Barnfield and to the fact that the Conservative mayor of London has now rejected incineration. When asked about the Waste Procurement process, Derrick Ashley said that Herts CC need to get through the process without risking legal challenge and the costs this might incur.
Said Paul: "It should be clear to anyone with any common sense that this is the wrong technology for dealing with waste and that the site itself is wholly unsuitable."
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