Star date: 11th November 2011

PEEL HOLDINGS INCINERATOR WITH THE SALFORD FALL OUT KICKED OUT

After a huge protest movement by the community and its Breathe Clean Air Group, Trafford Council last night threw out Peel Holdings plans for an incinerator at Barton.

Campaigners claimed that toxic airborne emissions from the plant would have blown straight into Salford and last night Trafford's councillors rejected the plans because of "genuine and significant public concern over the perceived impact on public health".

Full story here…

For over a year, Barton's community, led by its Breathe Clean Air Group, has been fighting Peel Holdings' plans for what the company calls the `Barton Renewable Energy Plant'. It's also known as an incinerator, as described by Trafford Councillor, Michael Cornes, in October…

"When Peel Energy first showed me their intended plans I told them I was primarily concerned about emissions from the chimney, toxic waste removal from the site, and the increase in traffic, caused by ludicrously importing waste material from outside the area" he said "None of these concerns have been satisfactorily addressed, and my concerns have only increased…It has been labelled `biomass' to make it sound environmentally friendly but even Peel Energy admit to 5-10% non-biomass and the Environment Agency confirm it is an incinerator!"

There have been huge protests and marches by the community determined to oppose Peel's incinerator, and last night, finally, Trafford councillors rejected the plans - and the recommendations of its own officers - explaining that there was a "genuine and significant public concern over the perceived impact on public health" and that it was too near residential areas.

At one of the Breathe Clean Air Group protest marches in January, spokesman Duncan Moules told the Salford Star that even if the Barton incinerator plans were defeated there was a good chance that Peel would try to move the site to land it owns in Irlam, with the decision in the hands of Salford Council as a softer planning authority option.

"We've got to look at places like Irlam, because it's no good us stopping this one if they move it to Irlam and we've got to start the whole process again" he said "We need a complete re-think on this and a policy change from the Government down."

This victory over Peel Holdings in Barton shows what the community can do to change and influence decisions of the council…

See previous Salford Star articles...

* Peel Holdings Incinerator Protest (Jan 2011) - click here

* Fight Against Peel Continues (Oct 2011) - click here