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COUNCIL SNUBS COVANTA’s BID
b11-158 Protest against Covanta incinerator held at Rookery Pit, Stewartby
CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans for a giant waste incinerator are celebrating “a win for common sense” after the news that Covanta will not be chosen to take on the contract for waste management in Central Beds.
This week Central Beds Council announced its final two bidders in its Energy and Recycling Project (BEaR) that will see one company take on waste control throughout Central Beds.
Covanta, which is planning to build a giant waste incinerator near Stewartby that has been met by huge opposition, was listed as one of the council’s four preferred bidders for the contract, but it has now been knocked out by the authority.
MP for Mid Bedfordshire Nadine Dorries has backed the decision and says this could be a massive setback for the firm’s incinerator bid.
Ms Dorries said: “I’m really pleased, it is a definite victory for common sense.
“I’m really pleased the council have come to this decision. If they put Covanta in the mix it would have made it so much more difficult for us to fight this plan.”
She added: “This is really going to weaken the Covanta bid, it means they cannot claim that they are going to be burning Bedfordshire’s waste.
“They would only be able to take in waste from outside Bedfordshire. Buckinghamshire have already said they won’t be using it, so it means if the incinerator goes ahead it would only be burning waste from London.
“This is fantastic news and huge progress in our fight against Covanta.”
The US waste firm is currently fighting a legal challenge from 39 parish councils and Bedford Borough Council, who are appealing the decision made by the Infrastructure Planning Commission for planning permission to be granted.
Ms Dorries say she believes some people opposing the incinerator may be able to put forward their views in a hearing before central government on the plan, but this is not definite yet.
Central Beds Council has now put forward waste companies New Earth Solutions-Remondis Consortium and Viridor into the final stages of the bidding process for the contract.
Councillor Budge Wells, assistant executive member for sustainable communities services at Central Beds, said: “I’m very pleased that this important project is progressing as planned and has now successfully completed another key milestone in delivering much needed infrastructure to provide a long-term solution for the council’s waste.
“For the waste that cannot viably be recycled or composted, the remaining bidders have proposed modern solutions that will have a minimal impact on the local environment and deliver significant environmental benefits.”
The final tenders stage will be completed by Autumn 2012, with a preferred bidder being selected.
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Weather for Bedford
Monday 28 May 2012
Today
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Temperature: 11 C to 25 C
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