Controversial Wiltshire incinerator to go ahead as council decides against court appeal

Wiltshire Council will not be appealing against plans to build the controversial Westbury incinerator.

The £200m energy from waste facility was approved by a government inspector on February 21.

A spokesman for the council said: “The council does not intend to apply for a Judicial Review of the Secretary of State’s decision to grant planning permission to Northacre Renewable Energy for an energy from waste facility in Westbury.”

It added: “This decision doesn’t affect any member of the local community from pursuing their own legal action in respect of this matter.”

Wiltshire Council originally voted down the incinerator plans in July last year, but developers Northacre Renewable Energy appealed and the final decision for approval was made by a government inspector.

Fears over the pollution from the incinerator and big lorries travelling to it have made the project controversial, with residents staging several protests.

Recently, South West Wiltshire MP Dr Andrew Murrison lobbied government ministers to impose a moratorium on building more energy from waste incinerators.

He is hoping that if the government imposes a the temporary prohibition, he will be able to stop the proposed facility from being built.

“I will do everything in my power to prevent it from happening,” he said.