Alistair joins cyclists to oppose waste plans

7.55.00pm GMT Mon 16th Nov 2009

Alistair Cameron, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary spokesman for Tewkesbury, joined local residents and councillors, at the Wingmoor Farm site in Bishop's Cleeve, in their opposition to the plans of Grundon Waste Management to carry on dumping toxic waste at the site for another 20 years.

Referring to the Grundon application, Alistair commented,"These proposals are proving a nightmare for local people. I have serious concerns about the health and environmental impact of the hazardous waste site on the local community. A large volume of hazardous waste materials will be contained on the site, including dioxins (which are harmful to human health) and, from past experience, some of these materials have escaped into the local community. There are large residential communities close to the site and it is unacceptable to expose local people to such a risk. This application should be turned down."

Alistair has written to the County Council to express his opposition to any extension of the Grundon site, asking for a detailed health assessment to be carried out of the impact of the site on local communities.

Alistair had cycled from Easter Park in Ashchurch, Tewkesbury to help raise awareness that Wingmoor Farm and Easter Park are two of the possible sites for the County Council's waste plans, which raises the grim possibility of an incinerator close to the 11,000 plus populations of Tewkesbury or Bishop's Cleeve, Stoke Orchard and surrounding villages.

Alistair joins Liberal Democrats in Gloucestershire in their opposition to any proposal, of the Conservative County Council, to build an incinerator in the county. He said, "An incinerator will pollute the atmosphere and increase the level of carbon dioxide emissions which contribute to global warming. We need to look at more environmentally acceptable ways to dispose of waste, perhaps using smaller, more local facilities."