What they said (2)...

MINUTES OF CROYDON COUNCIL MEETING: 30 JANUARY 2012


8. RECOMMENDATION OF THE CABINET AND COMMITTEE DEFERRED FOR DEBATE. (agenda item 14)

The recommendations contained in the Leaders report (item 7 above) were debated in accordance with the Council Constitution. The motion was moved by Councillor Smith and seconded by Councillor Watson.

Councillor Smith opened by saying that it was important to have this debate and to take account of some of the public questions already asked in relation to South London Waste Plan (SLWP) and the decision that had already been taken in the context of the SLWP to place an incinerator on the borders of Sutton and Croydon.  He acknowledged that and Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) would recover energy but to do so would have to burn the waste. He went on to say that there had not been an opportunity for members to discuss the scope of the plan and that thousands of people had said they did not an incinerator on the Sutton, Croydon borders. He spoke about alternative facilities being considered by other boroughs and the possibility of the London Mayor overriding local planning decisions.  

Councillor Thomas spoke of this Administrations priority to increase recycling rates from 16% to 40% by the end of the year. The Waste Plan is an important document because it safeguards many sites across Croydon from having any waste facility built on it. He added that during the planning process everyone will have an opportunity to input to the policy.


Councillor Shahul-Hameed asked why the site in Beddington Lane had been chosen and why was there no considerations given to the petitions that had been presented. She spoke about the possible adverse health effects from an incinerator, the additional traffic and associated noise and fumes.

Councillor Perry countered the argument that the papers had not been discussed by advising they had been to Cabinet, Council and a public consultation and Exanimation in Public. Croydon currently has three policies in relation to waste facilities whilst Kingston, Merton and Sutton have only one. Without agreement to this Waste Plan Croydon would effectively have no policy framework to deal with any waste facility planning application and therefore could not argue for or against it. The technology natural requirement had been determined by the EU and the previous Labour government.  This Plan will give protection to the residents of the four boroughs and Councillor Perry commended it to the Council  

Why does Croydon have three policies? Why would they not have a policy framework if they didn't agree to this Waste Plan? And they don't seem to be doing much arguing against this facility anyway!

Councillor Watson spoke about broken promises that no incinerator would be build in Croydon and that there had been little or no consultation. He added that there had been no debate on the technology to be used and that the facility would burn waste. He also spoke about the possible health issues and said that an Energy Recovery facility would waste energy and that recycling would save more.


Councillor Fisher agreed it was important to have the debate and encouraged local residents to attend meetings and to express their concerns to the London Borough of Sutton and other organisations that would ultimately decide if the plant were to have planning permission and the necessary licences to operate as an Energy Recovery facility. He stressed that this was a Sutton planning application which would then be considered by the Environment agency, only then would the ERF be built.
 

Following the debate the recommendations contained in the report were put and Council RESOLVED

1. To approve the South London Waste Plan Development Plan Document at appendix B of the report incorporating all the changes recommended in the South London Waste Plan Inspector’s Report for adoption as a Development Plan Document forming part of the Council’s Local Development Framework; and
2. that the Director of Planning and Building Control, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transportation and Sustainability, be given delegated authority to carry out all necessary statutory requirements subsequent to adoption of the South London Waste Plan as a Development Plan Document.

Note: I copied and pasted this text, and tidied up the formatting - typos, grammar etc. are from the original.

http://www.croydon.gov.uk/contents/documents/meetings/548170/1156743/2012-02-27/c20120130minutes.pdf