Gordon raises concern over incinerators

Local Tory Parliamentary Candidate, Gordon Henderson, has expressed concern about the number of planning applications that have been submitted to build incinerators in the Kemsley area.

Mr Henderson last month visited Kemsley Mill to hear about plans by the site owners, St Regis Paper, to build a new waste to energy generating plant, fuelled by pre-treated waste, to supply energy to the existing paper mill and to expand the amount of sustainable energy currently produced on the site.

At that time Mr Henderson expressed concerns about the level and type of emissions released by any future energy plant, and the impact on local roads arising from the increased traffic flow needed to supply the plant with waste.

Now it has emerged that at least two other planning applications have been submitted to build incinerators at Ridham Dock and Mr Henderson has joined forces with local councillor, Ben Stokes, to highlight the potential problems that would arise if too many incinerators are built in the area.

Mr Henderson said:
“These planning applications will be heard by Kent County Council and I am very concerned that they will be tempted to agree to them because siting them in this part of the county is an easy option.

“If the planning applications are looked at individually I am sure there will be some people who say that the level of emissions is perfectly safe, however, if all the applications are approved the combined level of emissions will be more problematic, particularly for the communities in Kemsley, Iwade and on Sheppey.

“There is also the issue of traffic movements. One of the applications is for a biomass plant that will be designed to process 30,000 tonnes of waste wood per year and the applicants have said that because they will be using materials generated by the present on-site operations 1500 HGV journeys a year will be saved.

“Another of the applications, which is also for a biomass plant, is designed to process 150,000 tonnes of wood waste a year, so using the same logic this will lead to an addition 7500 HGV movements a year. That’s 150 lorries a week, which is in addition to an anticipated increase in the number of lorries heading for Morrisons and Kemsley Mill.”

Mr Henderson was backed up by Cllr Ben Stokes who said:
“Like Gordon I am very concerned about the number of applications being submitted for incinerators in our area. I would like to assure residents that we will fight all the way to ensure that Ridham is not used as an incinerators dumping ground.”