The proposed Aylesbury Vale incinerator

Buckinghamshire County Council plans to build an Energy from Waste thermal treatment plant – in common parlance, an incinerator. This is part of the County Council's long-term plan for waste disposal. The Council is at an advanced stage of choosing between the tenders submitted by two short-listed contractors. One of these tenders proposes that the incinerator is built near the existing Calvert landfill site between Calvert and Edgcott.

The Council argues that an alternative to environmentally polluting landfill is urgently required. It says that the technology is safe, and cites the many other incinerators being used across Europe. One of the benefits claimed for the incinerator approach is that it generates a significant amount of useable energy – enough to power more than 17,000 homes. And using the technology enables the Council to meet central government environmental targets and so avoid fines and consequent Council tax rises.

The proposal has attracted opposition from local and national groups. The main objection is that the claims of safety are wrong, and that there is available evidence to the contrary. Some of the other arguments against are that implementation of the scheme will detract from the need to increase the percentage of recycled waste, and that the 95-metre high chimney required at the site will be an eyesore.

You can read much more about the arguments for and against simply by googling 'Aylesbury Vale incinerator'. Or you can start with the two websites shown in the sidebar.

UPDATE

Buckinghamshire County Council has now chosen a preferred solution. Read all about it.

Read more

The Council has a section of their website dedicated to this proposal. It includes links to other websites associated with and advocating the thermal treatment plant technology.

For arguments against, start at the SAVI website (Stop the Aylesbury Incinerator), which has links to other websites opposed to incinerators and to an electronic petition opposing the plan.