Tories U-Turn to Back Incineration

12.15.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 5th Jun 2007

Essex County Council's Conservative administration is proposing to build an incinerator in the county to deal with the treatment of waste. Ian Gale (Lib Dem spokesman on waste management and Chelmsford West County Cllr), said: "After years of insisting that they have a 'no incineration' policy and contesting elections on that basis, Essex Conservatives have now effected a spectacular U-turn.

"It is disgraceful that they have tried to sneak this major policy change without consultation or provision for scrutiny. We have however succeeded in securing a special meeting on 13 July to which all county councillors will be invited which should provide an opportunity for the issues raised to be debated."

The county council expects to determine planning applications within the next few weeks for waste disposal facilities to be built in Colchester and Basildon.