Protest held outside Westbury incinerator inquiry

NREL said the incinerator could create 450 construction jobs

Protesters wore gas masks outside a planning inquiry into whether a £200m incinerator should be built.

More than 100 people campaigned outside the Laverton in Westbury against the waste-to-energy development by Northacre Renewable Energy (NREL).

Revised plans for the incinerator were given approval in June 2021 before a U-turn by Wiltshire Council in July.

NREL previously said its incinerator would save material from landfill and help cut greenhouse gas emissions.

A final decision on the plans will be made by a government inspector on 8 December.

Holding placards saying "we need clean air" outside the meeting on Tuesday, some residents said they were concerned the plans would cause poor air quality, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

Located on an industrial park, NREL wants to burn non-recyclable waste to generate electricity on the site, which has caused controversy and planning complications due to its proximity to the town centre.

The MP for South West Wiltshire Andrew Murrison told the inquiry the development "would naturally involve lots of big lorries travelling long distances partially loaded adding to traffic and air quality misery" in Westbury.

Air quality expert Dr Ben Marner, brought in by Westbury Town Council, told the inquiry no proper assessment had been carried out by NREL to determine how pollution could affect the area.

However, a NREL representative said no other independent environment agencies, including the government's advisor for Natural England, agreed there would be a significant effect on the surrounding ecology.