County Council knows incinerator site - but will not disclose

12.20.40pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 14th May 2007

At a meeting of the County Council last week the Tory Cabinet member for Highways and Waste reported that a planning application for the Energy from Waste site commissioned by the County Council would be received early in 2008.

County Councillor Susan Gaszczak asked the Tory member "Since an application of this size takes some considerable time to prepare the site must already be identified, when will the cabinet member be prepared to share the placement of this site firstly with members of this council and secondly with the residents of Bedfordshire?"

The cabinet member replied saying this was a matter for him and the select committee but would not specify when he will reveal the site details. He also refused to call it an incinerator saying the 'I' word was banned - it was an 'Energy from Waste' plant although he did not deny that it burnt rubbish.

After the meeting Councillor Susan Gaszczak commented "Residents in Bedfordshire have a right to know where this incinerator will be placed. This is very quietly and quickly being dealt with; most residents are totally unaware that they could be living with a 250,000 tonne incinerator on their doorstep."