Friday 13 August 2010
SUSSEX EXPRESS - Hailsham - Polegate - Herstmonceux Edition
Landraise threat still on the cards - by CHRIS EYTE
A LANDRAISE scheme could still be set up in the Sussex Express news area - despite a review promised by the new LibCon Government.
East Sussex County Council has been considering five 60-acre potential landraise sites for 25 metre high, 25 hectare rubbish tips including near Golden Cross, Hellingly, and sewerage works at Berwick.
Residents, MPs and councillors have raised objections to the idea. Veolia, allegedly the largest waste management and recycling business in the UK, stated in March it has no interest in the scheme.
The Express asked the county council if the review would be affected by new policies under the new Government.
A county council- spokesman said: "The Government has indicated that planning authorities should continue to prepare their waste plans and we are proceeding to prepare our waste and minerals core strategy.
"The Coalition Agreement identifies that there will be radical reform of the planning system in the longer term but this framework has yet to emerge.
"The Government has also commenced a review of the National Waste Strategy. All these factors will be taken into account in the preparation of the next stages of the Core Strategy."
County is reviewing points raised by many residents and campaign groups during a public consultation which ended in January.
The county spokesman added: "We will, in due course, publish an analysis of the consultation and there is also additional technical work to be undertaken. There will be a further dialogue with the communities and individuals that have previously engaged with us on this matter."
Both MPs Charles Hendry (Wealden) and Norman Baker (Lewes and Polegate) have critisized the proposals.
Charles Hendry remained convinced, as a local MP, that the locations were 'completely inappropriate for landraise facilities' and he was 'absolutely committed' to making sure the council knew the full range of options.
He said: "The coalition Government has made it clear that it wants landfill and landraise only to be used as a last resort for dealing with waste. It has said that it will from front introduce a floor price in the landfill levy so the cost of landfill will be maintained at a high level so there will be even greater incentives to explore other options.
"As Energy Minister, I am committed to seeing joined up thinking on waste management issues, making sure that we see how we can get energy from waste, rather than dumping it in open countryside."
Norman Baker called landraise 'an abomination that has no place in 21st century Britain'. He said the county council should 'recognise this' and not proceed with the proposals.
He told the Express: "The Coalition Agreement rightly endorses modern forms of waste treatment such as anaerobic digestion rather than out-of-date approaches such as incineration, let alone the medieval idea of building mountains of waste on green fields which the county council is apparently happy to countenance. The council's lack of imagination and ambition when it comes to waste matters is really quite depressing."
Wealden District Council has also been concerned about the county council's landraise ideas.
Cllr Roy Galley said: "Many of our residents expressed their concerns to us about the lack of consultation on this important matter and were horrified at the prospect of landraise within a district like Wealden.
"We share our residents' concerns and we particularly welcome the fact that the county council is carefully considering these views and has proposed that there will be a further round of informal consultation."