Incinerator: Council ‘wastes’ £2.5m on burner
NORFOLK County Council has spent more than £2.5 million in nearly two years on the controversial incinerator project.
A Freedom of Information request lodged by the Lynn News has revealed that the council spent a total of £2,551,072 on the project between March 2010, and December 2011.
The £570 million project, planned for the Willows Business Park at Saddlebow, is still going through the planning process.
Environment and waste portfolio holder Bill Borrett has defended the council by saying that complex project costs a lot to put together.
But protesters have accused the council of wasting taxpayers’ money in difficult times.
Cabinet members approved £44 million of service cuts last month. A total of 360 full-time jobs could be lost as a result of the savings.
Mr Borrett said: “We are very aware of the value of public money. I am not going to spend a penny where it doesn’t have to be spent.
“A project of this size and complexity costs a lot to get together.
“This project is to save money.
“The only reason why this project is being promoted by the county council is to save £8 million a year.
“In order to get the project built we have to spend the money.”
The council announced in March 2010 that it was looking at a waste plant and that Cory Wheelabrator and Amey Cespa were its preferred bidders.
Since then the council has spent £2,501,753 from its revenue budget and £49,319 from the capital budget.
These figures do not include income or expenditure from December’s High Court judicial review, launched by Michael de Whalley.
Mr Borrett said the project was complex and required a lot of legal work and officer time.
He said that a procurement process started in 2006 and that West Norfolk councillor Brian Long sat on this board.
Mr Borrett said the two final potential contractors opted for incineration and the Lynn site.
But leading campaigner Mike Knights said the council has wasted public money.
He said: “It is a lot of taxpayers’ money, especially when the tax payers don’t want the thing they are wasting the money on.
“They could save themselves a lot of money if they dropped it rather than fight through to the bitter end and go for alternative technologies.
“I don’t see how they can justify going for the most expensive waste treatment process at a time when they are supposed to be saving money. They seem blinkered.”
n To make your voice heard against the incinerator, turn to page 16 of Friday’s (February 10) paper.
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