‘It’s a lot better than landfill’- Readers have their say after Preston incinerator plant given the go-ahead

Lancashire County Council’s development control committee approved the proposal for the plant - on the Red Scar Industrial Estate off Longridge Road - which will burn non-hazardous residual waste.

The committee heard claims from locals about emissions from the incinerator and their impact on health, as well as traffic concerns.

Eleven-year-old Anna Basnyet-Steingold from Grimsargh told members that older generations like theirs had only one thing left to take away from children of her age – clean air.

"It will be interesting to see if it actually gets built. There are now 3 waste to energy plants approved in Lancashire as well as the 1 in Preston plants have been approved for plants at Blackburn and Heysham in the last few months contracts with the various local authorities to take the waste and there wont be enough in Lancashire to feed all 3. Different companies have applied for permission it will no doubt come down to which company can do the deal."

John Swindells

"We can’t keep sending our waste to landfill and only alternative is to burn it, so we need waste to energy plants such as the proposed and accepted plant. It’s better than landfill for the planet, and the new plants are extremely green and clean. I agree the road structure isn’t the best but that can be sorted quickly by the developer . It will bring jobs to the area that are needed."

John Harling

"Better than landfill why are people opposing it? Sure people would rather this than sky high mountains of rubbish."

William Alexander

"Great for jobs too."

Daniel Campbell

"400 part-time jobs, Meaning 400 more claims for tax credits, average £100 a week each. So the private waste company shareholders will make a profit while the Government will have to fork out millions in tax credits..."

John Leslie Robinson

"Better than cooling towers"

Micky Boddill

"Turning waste into electricity. Seems ideal, we produce waste we need power. I live near, but I’m not objecting it as i need power, the whole ‘not in my backyard’ mentality has to go. Until we become waste-less and generate enough power from renewables, what’s the alternative?"

Johannes Christian

"Just goes to show no one listens to what the people want."

Margaret Heaps

"There was a coal fired power station at Red Scar many years ago when Coutaulds was there. Burn rubbish, generate electrical power, create jobs - what’s not to like?"

Geoff Hunt

"Did this 11-year-old decide to make an environmental & political stand off her own back?"

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