Bexley’s Labour Group of Councillors have welcomed the news that the Mayor of London will challenge the Secretary of State’s decision to allow the building of a second incinerator by Cory in Belvedere, following confirmation that he has issued a claim to the planning court requesting a judicial review of that decision.
Labour Councillors spoke at the Cory Energy park hearings in June 2019 questioning the need for more waste incineration in South East London and the negative impact this and other industrial operations have on the area in terms of dust, air quality, odour and heavy traffic.
Following the announcement that the Mayor’s claim had been issued, Councillor Stefano Borella (Slade Green and Northend Ward) said:
We have consistently argued that these proposals do not support increasing recycling rates and evidence shows local authorities that use these facilities have seen their recycling rates suppressed. I therefore welcome the Mayor’s actions to resist a further waste incinerator by requesting a judicial review of the Government’s decision.
A Bexley Labour Party spokesperson said:
We welcome the Mayor’s decision following the representations we made at last year’s hearings and directly to the Deputy Mayor for the Environment when we arranged for her to visit the site. We have continued to argue that this plant will detrimentally impact on the immediately adjacent Crossness nature reserve and will have a lasting impact on wildlife and habitats carefully nurtured over many years. In addition, this incinerator will increase fine dust particulate emissions and detrimentally impact on health and air quality in the local area.
In addition Abena Oppong-Asare MP and Jon Cruddas MP along with former MP Teresa Pearce have raised objections at the building of a second incinerator.