Protest banners appear as residents object to incinerator plans

These have been commissioned and installed by the Buttington Incinerator Impact Group , an informal grouping of concerned residents who came together to oppose Broad Energy’s proposal to build and operate a large industrial waste incinerator at Buttington Quarry.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Ian Thompson said: “We have been opposed to this development from the outset on the grounds that it is quite simply the wrong thing in the wrong place at the wrong time. The planning application has now been submitted and objectors have until May 24 to register any objections with the Welsh Government Planning Inspectorate. By going into our dedicated website stopbuttingtonincinerator.com, as publicised on our banners, an objection can be registered simply and quickly in less than two minutes. We would encourage as many people as possible to register their concerns. “

Because the proposed incinerator has an intended capacity in excess of 10MW, it qualifies as a “Development of National Significance” and therefore the decision falls to the Welsh National Government rather than the local planning authority.

In October 2020 there was a public protest outside the Trewern school. The group has been advised that a repetition of the protest now would not be allowable under Covid restrictions.

Mr Thompson said: “We are particularly frustrated that this planning application has been allowed to proceed at a time when Covid restrictions make it impossible to arrange public meetings or gatherings to discuss or object to the proposal, and when the Senedd is suspended for elections. At a very basic level, our democratic rights are being undermined . Our local councillor has been requesting that an extension of the consultation period should be granted but this seems to be falling on deaf ears at Welsh national government level”.