Campaigners opposed to the Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) at Buttington Quarry say the six-week consultation into the multi-million project was “flawed” and questioned why its developers labelled it a success.
The six-week consolation came to a close last week and, with 200 responses received, developers, Broad Energy, said the exercise had been successful and achieved its goal of engaging with the local community.
But the Buttington Incinerator Impact Group (BiIG) said the process had serious flaws due to Covid-19 and “holding a consultation under the present circumstances is unreasonable and undemocratic”.
The group, established to research and assess the impact of the proposal, are angry that Broad Energy have not stated how many of the 200 responses were opposed to their proposals.
A spokesperson for the group said: “Concerned residents have been unable to meet and to express their concerns in a public forum.
“Residents without access to the internet have been unable to engage with the vast amount of information published on-line by Broad Energy.
“Broad Energy has made much of their offer of face-to-face meetings for those who felt they could not engage online, stating that no member of the public chose to attend.
“In fact, we understand that only three people had indicated an intention to take advantage of this offer suggesting that many who might have wished to ask questions were put off by the prospect of an individual meeting by specific appointment with a group of professionals.
“For Broad Energy to imply that this suggests a failure of the community to engage with the process is frankly offensive.
“The consultation material provided by Broad Energy on-line amounts to more than 3,000 pages, some of it of a very technical nature and it is by no means easy for those residents affected to analyse and digest. BIIG is currently undertaking a detailed analysis of the data and will be making a formal objection as and when any planning application is submitted.
“This proposal is about a massive industrial development which would primarily burn waste transported across the border from England and which, despite Broad Energy’s misleading assertion that it will provide local jobs, would be a blight on our community and the rural landscape.
“It is the wrong thing in the wrong place and is being pursued at quite the wrong time.”
Broad Energy say the project is needed tout the amount of waste heading to landfill, and claims jobs will be created through the construction phase and once it is up and running.
BiIG can be followed on their website at http://buttingtonincinerator.co.uk/ or Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Buttington- Incinerator-Impact-Group-1117714071729058/