Update on Incinerator Proposal for Capel

Health

There was excellent attendance for the meeting at the Weald School on 5 February where Dr Dick van Steenis MBBS delivered a lecture on the health effects of emissions from mass burn incinerators and, in particular, the devastating effects of fine particles (PM 2.5s ), the vast majority of which get out into the atmosphere. It is clear from the many comments and letters that have been written since that Dr van Steenis struck a strong chord with the audience.

CAG has been putting pressure on those health professionals who have specific responsibility for providing leadership on behalf of the public on matters of human health. CAG has written to the Health Protection Agency and to the Director of Public Health for Surrey , who has personally to sign off the mass burn incinerator planning application. The Director is a doctor and has ethical and professional standards to uphold together with a mandatory obligation laid down by the General Medical Council to:

“Protect and promote the health of patients and the public”

We urge residents to write to Dr Ruth Milton, the Director of Public Health at:

Surrey Primary Care Trust
Cedar Court
Guildford Road
Leatherhead
Surrey
KT22 9AE

CAG believes that doctors cannot acquiesce to pressure to sign-off a proposal for an incinerator that will emit PM 2.5s, which are roundly considered to be harmful to human health at the highest levels around the world. Clearly doctors should not allow themselves to be compromised in that way. Politicians are elected to make such decisions and it is they and only they who should have to weigh up the pros and cons and be held to account for the decisions they make. CAG will continue to apply its efforts to ensure that responsible people face up to their responsibilities appropriately.

The Planning Position

The Waste Plan

The position of the Surrey Waste Plan is somewhat confused at present. Following the Examination in Public of the Plan last year the Inspectors issued their report in December. From Capel's perspective the report was not as good as we had hoped but it did remove “preferred” status from the Clockhouse Brickworks site and also removed the overriding protection afforded to sites in the Green Belt. It also re-instated two sites that the County Council had proposed be removed from their own Plan. Disappointingly, but perhaps unsurprisingly, the County Council have taken issue with the re-instatement of the two sites and has yet to adopt the Plan. Adoption was originally expected in January – it now looks like May. Until the Plan is adopted a legal challenge cannot be made. CAG has reviewed its options in this respect and awaits adoption of the Plan.

The Planning Application

In the meantime the planning application proceeds. Comments on the planning application had to be in by 29 February and it is clear that the County Council has received hundreds of letters in protest. That is quite excellent and CAG wishes to thank all who have written.

Somewhat surprisingly the Dorking Advertiser reported recently that responses could continue to be submitted right up to the planning application being considered by the Planning and Regulatory Committee on 18 June. CAG has sought clarification on this but the green light has been given so, as there is still so much to say, please KEEP ON WRITING! Everyone who writes has the right to be heard when the Planning and Regulatory Committee consider the planning application, so we should ensure that the hall is full!

Other developments

The County Council, acting as Waste Disposal Authority, have indicated for some time that they want two mass-burn incinerators in Surrey . The second site is proposed at Trumps Farm, in the north of the County. A proposal has been submitted to the County Council's Executive and is expected to be agreed on 25 March. If it is agreed a planning application can be expected in the summer of this year with determination by the end of the year. CAG has clearly demonstrated that there is no need for one mass-burn incinerator, let alone two.

Consistent with its almost religious dedication to mass-burn incineration the County Council has recently agreed to pursue entering into a contract for waste to be incinerated at Allington in Kent until such time as capacity comes on stream in Surrey .

Action

Adoption of the Waste Plan is a key next step. The County Council will be seriously embarrassed and impeded if they fail to adopt before the Clockhouse Brickworks planning application is considered in June. Once adopted legal challenges can be made.

Please write more letters of objection to the County Council and to the Dorking Advertiser and, as suggested, to the Director of Public Health for Surrey .

We must do all we can to keep the issue alive, every day, every week.

Dino Adriano

For Capel Action Group