Judge strikes a blow against TATA and Covanta

CHAIN has received many requests for comments on the result of the judicial review initiated by Cheshire West and Chester Council and Cheshire East Council into the decision by the Government to withdraw funding for their joint municipal waste management plans. In response, we are releasing the following statement:-

The decision is a serious setback to the plans of TATA and Covanta to build waste incinerators in this area. The reason given by the Government for stopping the PFI funds in October 2010 was that there is already sufficient planned waste treatment capacity in Cheshire to meet EU landfill targets until at least 2020. This has now been supported following a legal challenge. We anticipate that this will be fully taken into account by the Government in the public inquiries currently underway into both waste incinerator proposals. There is also the hope that TATA and Covanta will stop claiming that their monster plants are about avoiding landfill and own up about their real motives which are simply to make huge profits from burning rubbish from other parts of the UK at the expense of the health and well being of our community. Quite simply, their incinerators are not needed and not wanted in Cheshire.