8th April 2008

A couple of comments to Cllr Fellows, Leader of Stroud District Council, who asked for comments on waste policies for the County

Copyrighted photo reprinted here with permission of Seattle-based photographer Chris Jordan. See more photos.  

Congratulations - excellent column in Stroud Life this week.  I believe
that disbursed smaller energy from waste plants are the future.  They
are more flexible in terms of upgrading as the technology develops,
numbers can be reduced if we can decrease the overall quantity of
residual (which should be our aim), it is generally easier to use the
heat from smaller units compared to a large unit, the transport to the
unit is clearly less.   Experience has shown throughout the country that
long term contracts with a large incinerator ties councils into feeding
the unit and reduces the incentive to reduce the residual.  I also
believe there will be less NIMBY resistance to small local units dealing
with our own local waste.

I am concerned that the County is going to submit the Outline Business
Case for a large incinerator before the stakeholder panel is convened -
meaning the decision is effectively taken (DEFRA guidelines stipulate
that the OBC must be the planned scheme - not just one of a number of
options)

Best wishes

Martin Whiteside

I see you have asked for views re waste in your good column last week in Stroud Life - it will come as no surprise that I am opposed to any monster incinerator at Javelin Park, Haresfield or elsewhere in Gloucestershire. Instead of one massive incinerator that would need 'feeding' for its contract period of many years, the emphasis must be on 'Reduce, Reuse and Recycle' as you note - then three or four small waste-to-energy facilities for the remaining 30% residual waste. Smaller facilities would cut heavy lorry movements, allow flexibility as waste levels fall in the future, would fit with the scale of buildings on our industrial estates and most importantly the heat from these plants can be used for local industry leading to money saved and less CO2 emissions.This would be the most sustainable way towards a zero waste Gloucestershire. Surrey have a campaign saying: 'There are 3Rs in Surrey: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.'  We could do well to adopt the same for Gloucestershire? All the best - Philip

Cllr Philip Booth