All Norfolk county councillors vote to oppose 'mega incinerator'
Councillor Alex Kemp at a protest outside County Hall in Norwich against the proposed incinerator in Wisbech. Picture: Danielle Booden - Credit: Danielle Booden
Plans for a 'mega incinerator' have been unanimously opposed by members of Norfolk County Council.
Every councillor in a meeting of the full council at County Hall backed a motion stating that the council will oppose a £300m burner planned for Wisbech in Cambridgeshire.
MVV Environmental wants to build the Medworth Incinerator, in Algores Way, to handle more than 500,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste a year.
Cambridgeshire County Council and King's Lynn Borough Council have both voted to oppose the plans and a motion tabled at a Norfolk County Council meeting on Tuesday for County Hall to follow suit was backed by all 69 councillors in attendance.
Alexandra Kemp, independent councillor for Clenchwarton and South Lynn, tabled a motion about the plant, which was amended by Conservative Stuart Dark to explicitly state the council's opposition to the scheme.
Conservative county councillor and West Norfolk Council leader Stuart Dark - Credit: Norfolk Conservatives
Council leader Andrew Proctor previously said the authority wanted to wait for plans to be submitted before the council stated a view - but last week signalled the authority, as a statutory consultee, would be objecting.
Mr Dark, who is also leader of West Norfolk Council, said it was now a prudent time for the council to state its objection to what he described as a "mega incinerator".
He said there was evidence that there is already sufficient capability in the disposal chain - and plans to further cut waste - without need for the burner.
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Miss Kemp said: "We are Norfolk and no-one rides roughshod over King's Lynn while we are here."
Liberal Democrat county councillor Rob Colwell - Credit: Rob Colwell
Rob Colwell, Liberal Democrat councillor for Gaywood South, said: "The reality is incineration cannot be considered a green or low carbon source of electricity."
Concerns raised about the development included levels of carbon dioxide, the impact of having more lorries on the road, and damage to historic sites and farms in West Norfolk.
The county council's own plans for an incinerator in King's Lynn were scrapped in April 2014.
A separate motion by Liberal Democrat Saul Penfold to get the council to declare a climate emergency was lost.
There were 39 votes against, 24 for and three abstentions.
