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Letter sent to West Briton by Tim Thomson
It seems that the smoke and the mirrors are still being operated by the forces of democracy!
No less than two of last week’s correspondents mentioned that it would cost us in excess of £300 million ‘not to have’ the incinerator at St Dennis. Considering that Councillor Robertson, in his pleading letter to Eric Pickles, did not feel able to put the cost of losing the planning battle any higher than £30 million, with a few million more for additional landfill tax, I can’t understand where this £300 million figure came from.
If you keep in mind that the £30 million figure was being put about by the pro-incinerator lobby, it is safe to assume it is on the high side. Add to that the fact that it would include the purchase from Sita of the assets they already have in place, and it starts to look quite tame!
If we consider the figure of £30 million in the context of what the incinerator is going to cost us over thirty years, it is pretty small beer.
I would stake a significant chunk of my pension on the fact that an independent auditor would find that having the incinerator will cost us a great deal more than not having it. Of course I can’t be completely sure because the relevant details of the contract are not available to the general public.
I would stake another chunk of pension that, contrary to the statements of Councillor Robertson and his friends, alternative solutions could be up and running more quickly than the incinerator if the political will was there, and if that were to happen the County would be a greener and wealthier place.
Despite Mr Pickles and his decision, the incinerator does not have to be built. Greener, cheaper alternatives are available. Am I optimistic that that will happen? Not really – my faith in our local authority is fading fast! But life is full of surprises.
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