STOP PRESS: As expected, Veolia has, with the support of Shropshire Council, lodged an appeal against the Council's own decision to refuse the Battlefield Incinerator. This is likely to cost the council (i.e. using our money) several hundred thousand pounds, at least, at a time when huge cuts are being made to essential services and waste continues to fall in Shropshire. An unwanted and un-needed incinerator would be a burden on the council-tax payer for the next 30 years + and then the Council will need to pay the decommissioning costs.

It is already apparent that Veolia will need to bring in waste from outside the county, whatever it says now. Exactly as currently happens in Hampshire. After Veolia built 3 incinerators there, it got the ever-obliging Environment Agency to vary its permits to burn more waste, some of which comes in from outside Hampshire. Expect the same to happen in Shropshire if this scheme goes ahead.

The Public Inquiry is scheduled to begin on 27 September, 2011.

Although SWiS is not intending to register as a Rule 6 Party in order to contest the appeal, we are making such resources as we have available to those organisations that are intending to. In particular, we will be jointly funding expert testimony with Shrewsbury Friends of the Earth.

Safe Waste in Shropshire thanks all its supporters for sticking with the campaign so far - 3 long years and counting. More information on Shropshire's campaign and also the national picture can be found at UKWIN (UK Without Incineration).