Dorset Council 'disappointed' with DEFRA response to Portland incinerator
The authority's leader had been calling for help to stop the facility
Dorset Council's leader says he's 'disappointed' with the response he's received from the Government's Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) over plans to build an incinerator on Portland.
Nick Ireland wrote to the department in December, calling for them to intervene in the application granting permission for a waste burning facility.
At the time, he asked for a temporary pause to the project while a review into incinerators' permits is underway.
A response has now been sent from Mary Creagh CBE MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Nature.
Cllr Ireland said: “This is another disappointing response from the government that fails to address the core points raised, most importantly how they can justify granting permission for a facility that will most likely not adhere to their own newly tightened rules regarding future waste incineration.
"Despite the lack of engagement from the government over this important issue, Dorset Council will continue to fight alongside the residents of Portland against the incinerator. It is not needed and, even if it were, a World Heritage Site is entirely the wrong location for it. We look forward to seeing what happens with the statutory review at the High Court next month.”
The company Powerfuel Portland says the latest technology will be used to capture emissions.