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MP claims county landfill ‘conspiracy’
Hundreds of angry protesters attended a public meeting to object to plans for a waste disposal unit at Wixams.
Nadine Dorries, MP for Mid Beds, was among the 300 people at the meeting in the Red Lion pub in Wilstead last week which was organised by the Say No To Wixams Landfill Action Group.
This week Ms Dorries said she believed that Bedfordshire was part of a conspiracy to make the county a “dumping ground” for waste.
She said: “We already have Covanta that I have been fighting against, now this. There is the possibility that they both could go through.
“I just think ‘What is going on here?’ And I do believe it is part of a policy that was left by the previous government.
“I feel it is a conspiracy to make Bedfordshire a dumping ground for rubbish. This is not nimbyism, we are quite happy to burn our own waste here, but not London’s as well, they can do it themselves.
“I have written to (cabinet minister) Eric Pickles to ask him to explain to me what is going on.”
Waste firm FCC Environment is behind the application, which is asking for planning permission to build an integrated waste managment facility and non-hazardous waste landfil at the former Elstow Pit site at Wixams village.
Campaigner Pip Darnton said: “This application threatens to derail a fledgling community and could cause the loss of planned housing stock, schools, railway station, businesses and jobs.”
Residents also believe that there was not enough consultation from the waste company initially.
Chris Ratcliffe, senior planning and estates manager at FCC Environment, said: “We make every effort to engage with communities at all stages of the life cycle of our facilities, particularly at the planning stage. To accompany the Elstow South Integrated Waste Management application we have undertaken two community exhibitions, one in June and one in November. We have also delivered over 5,000 newsletters to local homes.”
People now have until January 12 to object to planning authority Bedford Borough Council on the application.
You can comment online at planning@bedford.gov.uk
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Saturday 25 May 2013
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