Burner protest at authority's first meeting

Campaign groups greeted members of the new Shropshire Council with placards and banners urging the authority to throw out plans for a £60 million incinerator on the edge of Shrewsbury.

Members of Safe Waste in Shropshire and Shrewsbury Friends of the Earth stood outside the Shirehall in the town yesterday to make their feelings known about the proposals.

Veolia Environmental Services wants to build an incinerator at Battlefield as part of a 27-year contract with Shropshire Council.

Yesterday campaigners had placards saying "Yes to recycling, no to incineration", "Say no to Battlefield incinerator" and "No incinerator here".

The campaigners today said they wanted to draw the new council's attention to their opposition to the plans.

Co-organiser Mo Gregson said: "We are very encouraged by the positive responses we have. Let's hope the new council can engage seriously with waste reduction, re-use and recycling instead of signing us up to decades of unnecessary, dangerous and expensive burning."

Miriam Walton, Safe Waste in Shropshire secretary, said: "Informed opinion in this county is turning against incineration mainly because of the continuing falls in waste production figures and the ongoing financial uncertainties."

Veolia has previously said that an energy-from-waste facility is just one part of the waste strategy for the county and the application will be determined on its merits by the planners.