MP to raise burner plan in Parliament

Shrewsbury's MP has tabled a motion in Parliament claiming the firm behind plans for a controversial £60 million incinerator in the town admit it is not the "only option" for tackling the county's waste issues.

Daniel Kawczynski has tabled the Early Day Motion in the House of Commons after meeting Jean-Dominique Mallet, chief executive of Veolia Environmental Services, which wants to build an incinerator at Battlefield as part of a 27-year contract with Shropshire Council.

Mr Kawczynski claims Mr Mallet has also agreed to discuss alternatives to the burner following a huge public backlash against the proposals.

He has vowed to ramp up pressure on Shropshire Council and Veolia to scrap plans for the incinerator.

The motion says: "Monsieur Jean-Dominique Mallet has stated that an incinerator is not the only option available for Shrewsbury for management of Shropshire's waste; further notes that Veolia has a wide range of alternatives which it would be happy to discuss with the new unitary authority; further notes huge opposition to an incinerator by Shrewsbury residents who would prefer a more modern and greener way to dispose of waste; and congratulates the people of Shrewsbury for exceeding Government targets on recycling."

The Tory said he believed there were safer, greener and more modern alternatives to the burner, including anaerobic digestion.

Commenting on the motion, Donald Macphail, managing director of Veolia Env- ironmental Services in Shropshire, said: "We are contracted to provide waste management for the whole of Shropshire.

"An energy from waste facility is just one part of the waste strategy selected by Shropshire Council which includes waste minimisation, reuse, recycling and recovery to maximise the diversion of waste from landfill.

"It would be specifically developed with a capacity much lower than the total amount of municipal waste generated. This is to ensure that recycling initiatives are not compromised by the fac- ility and to encourage even higher recycling levels."

He said the burner plan would be determined on its merits by the council.

Meanwhile, Shropshire Council's new leader Keith Barrow is being urged to open up discussions with Veolia about dropping plans for the burner.

Labour group leader Alan Mosley wants the matter raised at the cabinet meeting on July 29.

By Russell Roberts