Outraged over incinerator (From Northwich Guardian)

Outraged over incinerator

1:10pm Monday 8th June 2009 in Your Letters

I AM writing in response to the front page article in the Middlewich Guardian, of May 27.

I was horrified at Mike Parsons’ attempt to belittle the thousands of Middlewich residents who oppose Covanta’s plans for an incinerator.

To label such concerns as emotional is outrageous – as well as being insulting – and belittling the very residents whose interests Mr Parsons is supposed to protect and champion.

Perhaps the concerns were labelled as emotional because the case was put so eloquently at the recent town council planning ommittee meeting by mother of four Sula Stanley, who rightly said that she feared the impact it would have on the lives of her children.

However, she also spoke about the health risks, the growing traffic chaos, the negative impact on property values, the fact that Cheshire does not need another incinerator and the unsuitability of the proposed site.

These are factual, well thought out and reasoned concerns, not emotional ones.

Every member of the public at the meeting stood and clapped Ms Stanley’s speech to demonstrate their determined support for what she said.

The fact there are so many residents and arguments against the incinerator obviously makes those who might support Covanta’s profit-focused ambitions feel very uncomfortable.

I am yet to hear a convincing, defendable argument for the incinerator, emotional or other.

I’d be even luckier to hear any comment from any of our elected representatives stating their position regarding Covanta’s plans or even their wider views on incineration in general.

Like many others, I would like to record my agreement with the views expressed by Ms Stanley. She truly does put Middlewich First and should be applauded for speaking up for the interests of the local communities and their residents.

MATT CRAGG