West Norfolk council launches legal challenge into incinerator decision
A LEGAL challenge will be launched by West Norfolk councillors against the environment secretary Caroline Spelman’s decision to award private finance credits to the incinerator project.
At last night’s meeting council leader Nick Daubney called for Mrs Spelman to show the evidence of a broad consensus of support for the plans to build a burner on the Willows Business Park, in Saddlebow.
Councillors unanimously voted at a meeting in Lynn Town Hall to apply for a judicial review into Mrs Spelman’s decision and also want the secretary of state for communities and local government, Eric Pickles to call in the project.
In November, Mrs Spelman delayed making a decision on whether to award the £169 million for Norfolk County Council to show a broad consensus of support for the bid.
During last night’s debate Mr Daubney urged councillors to support the motion for a legal challenge.
He said: “My question to the secretary of state is simple if the evidence in November is inadequate what has changed? If you could not award the PFI credits then what has changed since?”
Speaking after the meeting Mr Daubney said that the council had made the right decision.
He said: “I am glad my colleagues agree that this needs challenging.”
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for King's Lynn
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 23 mph
Wind direction: East
Comments
There are 4 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
littletony
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 08:58 AMDaubney and his puppets have a cheek. They spent years supporting the incinerator and did nothing. Not a single question raised. Brian Long was the strongest supporter and did everything within his powers to push this along. As soon as they realised it might cost votes they switched. The switch is in my view just a public relations exercise. These people have not all changed their spots overnight. You cannot go from a council all in favour of something to a council all against the same thing in an instant. It means they are not being honest. All this money is about to be completely wasted on a case the council knows it cannot win but will look good trying to win. They can then say to the people that they did all they could. What a pity they did not do something more positive to stop this when the entire plan was laid before them years ago. Daubney, Long and the cronies knew it all and could have done more but instead did nothing except offer their full support. What a shambles. What an expensive shambles.
aeschylus
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 10:39 AMI live on Tennyson Ave Sean, so it probably will have a direct impact on me, but all I want is for them to get independant legal advice, rather than a law firm seeing the money from legal fees first, as if it is not a winnable case I dont see the point in spending all our money just so the council can claimed they tried, the high court has allready turned down one try, The goverment have released the funds despite all the evidence to the contary. it seems a done deal
Sean J Coulson
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 10:27 PMAeschylus I agree with you but money isn’t everything. If you have family downwind of the incinerator breathing in carcinogens 247 for 25 years is worrying. If India are closing down supposed modern well run incinerators does not say much for our caring money grabbing County Council. Looking in today’s Lynn News mention MBT AD will be placed at Blackborough end landfill site. This will treat most of Norfolk’s waste and it will all be recycled. Now if other landfill sites have MBT AD plants on them the incinerator will be dormant. Manchester has outlawed incinerators and only uses five MBT AD plants Achieving Zero Waste. Incineration is stone age technology.
aeschylus
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 07:17 PMHave the council actually said how they intend to pay for this, as surely if it is to be funded via council tax payers then a referendum would need to be held? I know it is easy to go in all guns blazing but they need to seek un-bias legal advice at the chances of winning this. It is pointless pouring a vast amount of money into something that is all ends up a lost case
Page 1 of 1
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.