Monday 7 November 2011

The Incinerator is on the agenda of the Richmond Hill Forum on the 5 December 2011

Artist's rendering of proposed incinerator
Now that the successful bidder for the for the contract has been announced and confirmed by the Executive Board (all three of our councillors attended) and the site they propose to use is known (The old wholesale Market site at Cross Green) we are not sure why they are coming to the meeting.  It is more than plain that they have not listened or taken on board any of the vociferous objections we, the residents attending the Richmond Hill Forum, have been putting forward since 2006 when this scheme was first proposed but perhaps they are using this as yet another 'Consultation' propaganda exercise?  If you look at the rather benign soft focus artist's rendering of what the proposed plant will look like you can hardly see the two 213 foot high chimneys in the background in fact we had to look quite carefully to see them at all, this however will not be a problem for those living near by as they will have no trouble at all seeing the chimneys or hearing the noise of the plant which operates 24/7 or from the traffic taking the waste to the site or removing the by-products.

However if you wish to make you position on the incinerator known come along to the meeting and have your say.  There will be those who object to the whole idea of incineration as an outdated and unsustainable technology; those who object to its location so close to their homes who will be condemned as NIMBY's by those in leafy suburbs who want an incinerator but don't want it anywhere near them; those who object to the successful bidder Veolia on both the grounds of their health and safety record in this country and/or their behaviour in Palestine and finally those who object to the project being financed by a PFI contract which sees us buying this facility on the' never, never' given the rapidly falling waste stream which will be available to fuel this plant.

8 comments:

  1. I will be at the forum rain or shine! It's the only opportunity we get to put our message accross. Plus we need to show the City Council that whether they like it or not, the forum represents public opinion and has so far has objected to the incinerator.

    ReplyDelete
  2. is it true ---the labour councillors wernt there for the vote about a referendum?????

    roll on when the verbatim minutes come out

    ReplyDelete
  3. According to the Evening Post, the two Labour Councillors for Burmantofts and Richmond Hill, and the two Labour Councillors for Temple Newsam Ward (which includes Halton Moor and Osmondthorpe) left the Council Chamber for the duration of the debate and the vote on the incinerator issue. The verbatim minutes won't tell you anything as none of them spoke!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Drat - i suppose we could try asking them why they left the chamber at the next forum?

    In fact we will ask them why they left the chamber and why neither of them are keen to nail their decisions to the wall.

    Sarah C

    ReplyDelete
  5. If true this is disgraceful beheviour! It is time that Burmantofts & Richmond Hill ward had a councillor who will put the people who live in their wards ahead of party political advantage.

    Time for an independent candidate with more principles and less of a personal agenda who will vote according to the wishes of their constituents and not of their own narrow party political agenda.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Here's the link to the Evening Post report:-

    http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/central-leeds/leeds_incinerator_campaign_defeated_1_3984120

    ReplyDelete
  7. I hear on the grapevine that the Council is going to abolish the community forums......

    ReplyDelete
  8. i heard on the grapevine Sarah May neighbourhood manager is planning to abolish the forums and have meetings in secret. She already has her little list and hey ho neither No2 Incinerator, COVEN or Friends of EEP are on it. Stange when COVEN runs one of the most successful bookclubs in Leeds.

    ReplyDelete