Last Wednesday marked the first proper full Council meeting since the local elections in May. The meeting proved highly significant, with the Conservative Group tabling a motion regarding the proposed incinerator in Sowerby Bridge.
The motion was amended to include the proposed changes from the Labour Group and was passed with unanimous support from all councillors. Now the Council will write to the government calling for a pause to all incinerator applications nationwide. This decision reflects the strong opposition from all parties to the proposed Incinerator in Sowerby Bridge.
During the debate, Cllr Leigh raised concerns about the Incinerator's potential impact on the local community and said, "It's a very, very serious issue... Hopefully, there will be a major breakthrough for all the people who have been saying things about the Incinerator – everyone is against it."
Whilst this united stance is a significant step, it's important to remember that Calderdale Council could still grant the Environmental Permit for the Incinerator because the decision has been delegated to senior Council officers.
The Conservative Group remains steadfast in its opposition to the Incinerator and will continue to advocate for residents' concerns
Please see the full motion at the bottom.
Petition
At the meeting, a petition submitted by the Liberal Democrats regarding the potential closure of the Household Waste and Recycling Centre in Elland was also debated.
The Conservatives said they supported the petition and raising concerns about the impact of the closure on the welfare of local residents. It was argued that there could be potential increases to fly-tipping and further pollution from the resulting congestion as residents would have to travel to other Household Waste and Recycling Centres across Calderdale.
Conservative Councillor Peter Hunt (Elland Ward) said “in the last several months I have been around speaking to many residents. It’s a great asset and a very much loved and used facility.”
The Labour Group confirmed that as it stands no final decision has been made on the future of the Centre. Cllr Bellenger proposed that “This Council asks Cabinet to reverse the decision to permanently close Elland Recycling Centre and make provision for its continued operation in the Medium Term Financial Plan to be discussed and agreed later this year.” Labour submitted an amendment to this proposal to note the contents of the petition which successfully passed.
After the meeting, Conservative Group Leader, Cllr Leigh added “The Conservatives will keep a close eye on this important issue. Early this year we also opposed this closure because in our opposition budget we planned to keep the tip open. Unfortunately, Labour voted against our budget.”
Special Mentions
At the local elections in May, the Conservative Group saw Cllrs Sophie Whittaker (Rastrick Ward), Tina Benton (Brighouse Ward), John Ford (Elland Ward), and Peter Caffrey (Northowram and Shelf Ward) stepping down after years of stellar service for their local communities.
With sadness, we also note that Robert Thornber (Ryburn Ward) was unsuccessful in his re-election campaign. These Cllrs were great local champions and always ensured residents’ concerns came first. We hope you will join us in thanking them for their service.
Following in their footsteps, Cllrs Peter Hunt (Elland Ward) and Geraldine Carter (Brighouse Ward) were newly elected. Please welcome them to the Conservative family on the Council and wish them luck.
Motion: Incinerators and the danger to human health
Proposed by Cllr Leigh and seconded by Cllr Ashton
This Council notes:
- Tackling climate change is a priority for Calderdale Council. In 2023 the council published a Climate Action Plan. This document is a roadmap for action to support reaching net-zero emissions by 2038. It has considerable synergies with the council’s 2019 air quality strategy, with measures aimed at achieving net zero also likely to reduce air pollution.
- Councils are legally obliged to determine applications for environmental permits, including for waste incineration plants, in accordance with the relevant legislative framework and guidance. Under the Council’s Constitution the decision for such applications is delegated to officers.
- The long history of the proposed small waste incineration plant (SWIP) at Belmont Industrial Estate in Sowerby Bridge started with Calderdale Council refusing planning permission. This decision was then overturned on appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.
- In 2021, the then Cabinet granted an environmental permit for the incinerator. This took place following the legal process which included opportunities for residents and other parties to object. Subsequently, objectors successfully secured a judicial review, which concluded with the Cabinet decision to grant the environmental permit being quashed.
- The application was then considered by a Planning Inspector who dismissed it and stated: “I am unable to find that granting an environmental permit for the SWIP would not have an unacceptable adverse effect on human health and the environment".
This Council acknowledges:
- This prolonged process has caused significant distress amongst local residents, who are deeply concerned about the potential impact on human health and the community.
- Councils are not legally required to respond to all questions submitted by residents in consultations for environmental permits. However, all responses are carefully reviewed.
- There have been two public consultations in respect of the current application. In response to significant feedback Calderdale Council has asked the applicants to provide more information before making a decision. The receipt and online publication of this additional information will start a further 21-day public consultation.
- In 2021 an assessment by the National Infrastructure Committee warned that the increasing greenhouse gas emissions from waste incineration would hinder the UK's ability to achieve its net-zero targets by 2050. In a subsequent report published in October 2023 they highlighted that to hit net zero the tonnage of waste treated at energy from waste plants without carbon capture and storage will need to reduce by around a quarter by 2035, and by around 80 per cent by 2050.
- In 2021, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on air pollution published a synopsis of research presentations on pollution from waste incineration. One researcher found that “even though incinerator filters stop small particulates like PM2.5, they allow ultrafine particulates into the local environment which at scale constitute a significant health hazard.” Other research “found heavy metals in the toenails of children living near incinerators linked with childhood leukaemia” and “dioxins in chicken eggs up to 10 kilometres away from incinerators.”
This Council resolves to:
- Ask the Leader and Chief Executive of the Council to write to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs requesting that they pause current and future applications for waste incinerators, regardless of size or regulatory authority, and carry out a national review of development rules. This review could examine the operation of all current incinerators in the UK; the impacts on human health; impacts on recycling rates; and whether capacity has been reached in terms of national demand for new incinerators. The review could also include consideration of the recent and currently unpublished work by the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) on “the role of waste incineration capacity in the management of residual wastes in England”.
- Do everything within its power to prevent any potential health and environmental impacts that the proposed incinerator could have on the local community and residents (if the environmental permit were to be granted). Moreover, the Council will impose any relevant sanctions on the applicants should the rules stipulated in the environmental permit and Planning application be breached.
