We are opposed to the principles of incineration as there are far more environmentally friendly and sustainable ways of dealing with our waste, without resulting to burning it for the sake of profit. Incineration is a waste of this valuable resource, a resource that should be recycled. Incineration is a process that is poorly regulated and highly polluting. Even whilst the Government was making its decision, the incinerator continued to breach its emission levels and WRG received yet another warning from the Environment Agency, to add to their growing collection.

What is most unbelievable about the Governments support for this incinerator is that Hazel Blares, the Secretary of State who made the decision, do so on the grounds that it will help the Government meet its climate change policy!

This shows the complete and utter disconnection between what the Government says and what it does. The Government claims that Climate Change is the greatest threat we all face and has set itself challenging targets to reduce emissions, but yet again they have demonstrated that protecting the interest of big business is more important that the fate of our planet.

NAIL submitted to the Public Inquiry evidence that demonstrated that the incinerator was no better for the climate that landfill, despite WRG’s claims. The Government has ignored this in its ruling. If the Government really believed that burning waste, rather than recycling was good for the environment, at minimum they would have imposed a condition on the expansion that WRG should connect the incinerator to the district heating scheme, something that WRG refused to do when challenged by NAIL at the Inquiry. This effectively means that the heat generated from burning the waste will be released into the atmosphere and wasted, making it an electricity only incinerator, and extremely inefficient and hardly ‘climate friendly’.

The only conditions imposed by the Hazel Blears were in connection with lighting, soft landscaping and the chimney colour, not what comes out of it!

Next Steps

This is not the end of the road for our campaign, we have come this far and until now won every hurdle. We have instructed our lawyers to review evidence submitted by NAIL at the Inquiry with a view to appealing the decision. Our intention, subject to our lawyers advice, is to take the Government to the High Court to overturn this outrages decision.

Although we have a strong case, if we are to take this course of action we are fighting the Government and could face a huge legal bill and so this is also being considered by our Lawyers, we hope to announce our decision within the next few days.

We have contacted the City Council and have urged them to take this to the High Court, to challenge the legality of the decision. The City have also instructed their legal team and also hope to have a decision within the next few days.

Unless challenged by NAIL, the Council or both, Nottingham's third incinerator will be built against Nottingham’s wishes.