Following Labour’s call for an extraordinary meeting to cancel the County Council’s contract with UBB to build an incinerator at Javelin Park, please see the following statement on behalf of the Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Cllr. Jeremy Hilton:

“The decision to approve planning permission by the Conservative Secretary of State is to be condemned. Mr Pickles has ignored the unanimous decision of the county council’s planning committee to refuse permission to build a massive waste incinerator at Javelin Park and has gone against much public opposition.

“Labour’s decision to request an extraordinary council meeting before knowing all the costs is however hasty and irrational. They have called this meeting solely for political purposes.

“Liberal Democrats have asked the council to provide the full cost of cancelling the contract. We shall need to consider these costs extremely carefully. At the end of the day, we cannot keep dumping our rubbish in the ground.

“The penalty to Norfolk County Council in cancelling their incinerator contract was at least £33 million. It could be a similar sum in Gloucestershire. This sort of money would pay for a lot of services.

“We are demanding that the Tory administration at Shire Hall gives councillors access to all confidential information on the incinerator contract now before a vote on its future can be determined. Until then, Liberal Democrats will reserve our judgement on the Labour proposition.”