Who's Town is it Anyway?
I see that company (Sterile Technologies??) still wants to press ahead with it’s plans to install a medical waste treatment plant next to a school and surrounding houses when there has to be many other more suitable sites in the town. This issue really miffs me off. The people of the area said they don’t want it and ALL the councillors objected to the plan and yet the company’s still determined to get it’s own way.
What I can’t understand is, if something is so vastly unpopular that virtually everyone objects, including our own council, who at the end of the day makes the final decision to give it the go ahead?
If as a whole town we can’t have any say in our own future then democracy has clearly failed us.
You heard it from the mouth of the Planning application "Head" It's too expensive to fight an appeal!!!
John Regular Poster
Posts: 195
(27/2/07 9:54 pm) Reply
Re: Who's Town is it Anyway?
Once the majority of the council and local residents have objected then there should be no right of appeal. Of course there are many things people don't want in there own back yard but it should be obvious to whoever makes the decision that a residential area is not a suitable place to site this type of plant.
I'm sorry if this upsets our neighbours in Runcorn but with the decline of the old I.C.I. there you would think that there would be some disused area that could be replaced with a waste disposal plant. Even if the emissions from the plant are cleaned up so it only produces fresh air there will obviously be increased heavy traffic to and from it. A coastal or riverside site would allow a alternative transport link without exacerbating our existing road congestion.
If there is an appeal and 'Sterile Technologies' lose it then they should have to compensate Warrington's Council for every penny that it has cost to fight it plus some more because the Council could have used their resources to better effect, ultimatley this might even lead to some reduction in our community charges.
Like you, I could think of umpteen places where it would make a lot more sense to put a plant like this but wherever it goes there's bound to be objections and the company know this only too well. Because of this, they spend huge sums employing specialist to find ways to allow them to install. The final choice has virtually nothing to do with common sense or the environment and is all to do with psychology.
The sad thing is that Bewsey was specifically targeted as a deprived area, where as I read, traditionally, people are poorer, less educated and so far less likely to come together and organise any strong campaign of resistance. What’s more, the report says that buy using areas of high unemployment, local councils are more likely to grant permission because they can make political capital from any employment generated.
All very dark stuff and as I say nothing to do with common sense.
Bill
Oh PS I like the thought of being able to make a claim off this fat cat.
John Regular Poster
Posts: 196
(1/3/07 6:58 pm) Reply
Re: Who's Town is it Anyway?
Not just psychology Bill, money seems to be the main deciding factor.
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