Bournemouth environmentalists object to incinerator bid

More than 230 people have already written to BCP Council to object to the plans for the waste combined heat and power facility at Canford Resource Park. 

And campaigners from the Stop Canford Incinerators group gathered outside Bournemouth town hall last week. 

Liz Brereton, a counsellor from Bournemouth, said the incinerator would be a “disaster for human health and the environment”. 

She added: “The government has promised a deposit return scheme to deal with plastic waste in a greener way. 

“I remember when I was younger, we used to collect bottles to take back to the shop to get the deposit back - we need to bring that back.” 

OBJECTORS: Eco activists campaign against incinerator plans (Image: PR)

The activists held bright placards with the message ‘Stop Canford Incinerator’ and wore gas masks while chanting: “When the air we breathe is under attack, stand up, fight back” and “reduce, reuse, recycle, don’t burn”. 

Steve Harper, a freelance designer also from Bournemouth, added: “There are more than 30 schools within 5km of the proposed incinerator.  

“The plumes from incinerators include heavy metals, dioxins and ultrafine particulate matter that can be harmful to human health.  

“Children are particularly at risk from this pollution, as their immune systems, lungs and brains are still developing.”  

(Image: PR)

Bournemouth property manager Greg Lambe and vice chair of the Christchurch Harbour Ornithological Group added he is “greatly concerned” about the potential impact on birds. 

He said: “Chemicals released from incinerators can accumulate in the environment and negatively affect wildlife, especially marine mammals and freshwater species.” 

Council planning officer Gareth Ball said the authority needs more time to consider a report after it was initially meant to be decided at a committee meeting last month. 

He said BCP Council has “received a number of new third party representations” following the publishing of the report to recommend its approval. 

He added there had been “various issues within the legality” in reaching a decision when the meeting was called. 

Justin Dampney, company chief operating officer, said: “This new facility will prevent 17,000 HGV ‘waste miles’ per month and a feasibility study into using heat locally has been completed.

“It will only treat a small proportion of leftover waste, leaving plenty of room for significant waste reduction and increased recycling and it has been designed to have extremely low emissions.

"For example nitrogen and particulate emissions will be less than one per cent above existing background levels at ground level next to the plant.”