David Chalmers, the Liberal Democrat opponent to Steve Barclay at the General Election, believes a £400m incinerator for Wisbech has been inflicted on the town “by stealth”. And, referencing a possible judicial review, he added the decision could herald “a potential bonanza for the lawyers after the election, which may well end up being paid for by the residents of Fenland”.
Mr Chalmers is the Liberal Democrat candidate for NE Cambridgeshire, and he says the decision by the outgoing Conservative Government to lift its temporary ban on licensing new incinerators “is an insult to Wisbech residents.
“The lifting of the ban allowed permits to be issued by the Environment Agency on Wednesday for the planned incinerator at Wisbech, just before Parliament was dissolved.
“The Government introduced a temporary ban on licensing the operation of new incinerators within days of the on-off decision of ministers to grant planning permission for the incinerator at Algores Way in Wisbech.
Claire Coutinho, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (right), agreed a £400m incinerator for Wisbech“At that time, the reason the Government gave for the ban was so that officials could consider the role of waste incineration in the management of residual waste in England”.
Mr Chalmers added: “Now one of the last actions of this Government is to lift its ban and enable the Environment Agency to issue the necessary permits for the Wisbech incinerator, without saying whether it has reached a conclusion on this matter, and if so, what it is.
“If they have reached a conclusion, no-one knows what it is or how it influenced the issuing of a permit for Wisbech.
“The result is an incinerator inflicted on Wisbech by stealth, and a potential bonanza for the lawyers after the election, which may well end up being paid for by the residents of Fenland.”
He wants the next government to reimpose the temporary ban on licensing of new incinerators until any conclusions reached during the previous ban have been considered and the public properly consulted.
He added: “No Government should treat local residents with such disrespect.”
