Alarm over West London Waste Incineration Plans

3.41.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 17th May 2004

MP Vincent Cable has spoken out in support of the campaign by Friends of the Earth against a big proposed expansion of waste incineration near Heathrow airport, using waste generated by Richmond and five other London boroughs. Richmond is one of two boroughs currently supporting the plan with two against and two undecided.

Planning permission has been granted for the Colnbrok incinerator capable of burning over 50 times the amount of waste currently consumed. The developer (Grundon) is currently trying to secure agreement from the West of London Waster Authority, representing the councils. Environmentalists warn that, although Richmond is some distance away from the chimneys, there are potentially hazardous emissions of particulates including heavy metals. Scientific studies point to severe health effects on people close to incinerators in the UK and overseas and a proposed incinerator in Hull, a third of the size, was turned down on health grounds.

Vincent Cable said: "it must be tempting for the council to try to avoid the escalating cost of landfill by resorting to incineration, especially if the pollution falls on people somewhere else. But it would be wrong. Also there are better alternatives. Richmond was once the leading recycling borough in Britain and regularly applauded by Friends of the Earth for its record in this field. Its performance is now merely respectable - at 21% - and it has been overhauled by other councils. Undoubtedly recycling needs to be carried out intelligently and with proper regard to the economics; but we could be doing better. Certainly incineration can not be seen as a safer alternative".