No new incinerator in Barnstaple!

In conjunction with Devon County Council, North Devon Council has approved in principle the plan to build a rubbish incinerator as part of the redevelopment of a stretch of land by the river Taw in Barnstaple. The proposed incinerator would burn 50,000 tonnes of waste per year and is intended to ensure that the local authority complies with the European Union Landfill Directive, which aims to reduce the amount of refuse that is disposed of in landfill rubbish dumps.

However, these incinerators have been linked to a number of health problems, including increased risk of heart disease and cancer. They can release heavy metals, fine particulates (linked to cancer and heart disease) as well as polluted water, which could be an issue considering the site is a flood plain. They also release dioxins, the chemical implicated in the Irish pork recall.

The location of the mooted incinerator is right bang in the centre of town. Surrounding it is housing, retail units and the new further education college will be built next door! Downwind of it is more housing as well as a large secondary school. It is estimated that most, if not all, of the 25,000 residents of Barnstaple and nearby villages will be exposed.

A meeting for those opposed to the scheme was arranged last Tuesday (9th December). Two anti-incinerator campaigners from Cornwall were the invited speakers, and gave an in depth analysis of the environmental and health dangers, as well as emphasising that there needed to be a positive argument for an alternative, which could help comply with the EU Directive as well as provide a means to use the waste as a potential resource, rather than just get rid of it.

Much helpful practical advice was given, in terms of contacting officials and finding out information. However, the Socialist Party members present at the meeting made the point that getting over a technically and legally correct argument, while useful, would not win the campaign by itself. What is needed is to involve the citizens of Barnstaple in stopping this threat, by campaigning in the town and on the estates, and ultimately putting immense pressure on the Council. Both Lib Dem County Councillors in the town support the scheme, and are up for reelection next year, while the Lib Dem MP, up against a strong Tory challenge at the next election, is 'keeping an open mind', which translated means 'waiting to see which way the wind blows'.

The scheme is at an early stage at the moment, as is the campaign. North Devon Socialist Party intends to work and make the necessary arguments to stop these potentially dangerous plans.