independent Cornish news and comment

LIB DEM DECISION TO PROCEED WITH INCINERATOR WAS WRONG

Mebyon Kernow – the Party for Cornwall has hit out at the decision of the Liberal Democrat-controlled County Council to agree a multi-million pound deal with SITA to deal with Cornwall’s domestic waste and build an incinerator in Mid Cornwall.


Addressing a meeting of MK members on Wednesday 19th July, Matthew Luke, Chairman of MK in Newquay and St Austell, described the Council’s decision as “plain wrong” and the actions of local Liberal Democrats as “very disappointing.”

At yesterday’s Full Council Meeting, the vote was taken by 35-28 to proceed with a large incinerator in Mid Cornwall. Only one Liberal Democrat councillor voted against the proposal, even though reservations had been expressed by the party’s local MPs.

Matthew Luke said: “Cornwall Council’s waste plans do not stack up on a number of levels and we are disappointed that the Lib Dem authority has refused to think again. A single incinerator in Clay Country makes no sense at all.

“The whole episode has had a frankly unreal quality about it. We have had Lib Dem MPs calling for a Public Inquiry and yet at County Hall only one Liberal Democrat voted against the signing of the contract. It is particularly sad that not one of the Lib Dem county councillors from the St Austell and China Clay areas stood up and fought for local people.

“What message does this confusion send to people in St Dennis, Roche and Indian Queens who are concerned about the possibility of an incinerator in their midst?”

Also present at the meeting was Party Leader Cllr Dick Cole, who six months ago successfully moved a motion at Restormel Borough Council (along with Cllrs Fred Greenslade and John Wood) calling for a Public Inquiry on the County Council’s waste plans.

Commenting on recent events, Cllr Cole said: “We do not believe that Cornwall Council’s approach to waste represents the best environmental solution.
“It is my hope that as many people as possible will get behind the call for a full Public Inquiry. There are better ways of dealing with waste and such an Inquiry should be able to prove this.”