No to the Dunston Incinerator

Click here to sign the petition

Cyclamax have put in a planning application to build an incinerator at the former Cammac Coal Yard in Sheepbridge. This actual site is just outside the constituency of North East Derbyshire, but airborne particulates and smells do not respect constituency boundaries.

The site is within a two-mile radius of around 30,000 residences and 19 schools – many of which are in Natascha's constituency.

This project would affect people living in Unstone, Barlow, Holmesfield, Dronfield, Eckington, New Whittington and many other communities that are within North East Derbyshire.

Natascha has therefore strongly objected to the building of this incinerator and is strongly supporting the Chesterfield Against Incineration and Dronfield Against Incineration campaigns. She has made her objection known to the planning authority and written a letter to the Derbyshire Times outlining her views.

The main reason why she is objecting is to safeguard the health and wellbeing of everyone in the area. There have been suggestions that possible pollution from such sites can travel up to 16 miles. The technology is unproven and the long term danger to health can not be known. It is wrong to gamble with the health of people from the area.

She is also very concerned about the high levels of traffic the site would generate, up to 60 large HGVs a day bringing all sorts of waste. Roads in the area are already congested and unsuitable for large, heavy trucks.

Local residents would also have to put up with unacceptable noise, disruption and smells from the plant which would operate 24 hours a day. A tall chimney would also ruin the skyline of the area.

It is not just local people that are worried. Many businesses have raised objections and hundreds of jobs are at risk as some firms threaten to move away from the area if the incinerator is built.

Obviously this is all unacceptable and Natascha is helping local people do all they can to persuade the authorities that the development should not go ahead.

She recently presented a petition to Parliament and is continuing to collect signatures to present to the planning authorities before they make a decision.

Derbyshire County Council is due to make a decision on this application on either 4 January 2010 or 25 January 2010, although the decision has already been deferred a number of times.

If you would like to join the campaign to stop the incinerator, please click here and sign the petition.

Don't forget to visit Dronfield Against Incineration and Chesterfield Against Incineration for more details on why this is a bad idea and how to get involved.