Leeds anti-incinerator campaigners criticise consultation process

Campaigners fighting against proposals to build a waste incinerator on one of two sites in East Leeds have criticised what they claim is a lack of consultation and information from the council. About 40 concerned residents and members of the No2Incinerator campaign group attended a sometimes stormy Richmond Hill Forum meeting at Victoria School yesterday evening - and vowed to fight the proposals. One of the campaigners, Sarah Covell, said: "I wish the council would engage with and consult the community and that they actually make any consultation meetings at the right time - some meetings have been at 6pm on a Friday evening with very little notice." Another woman added: "There are are already health problems in this area, we don't want more. Nobody wants to live here - the council is using this area like a dumping ground. This area should be up and coming, not being run into the ground. "Why don't they put it up in North Leeds where the air's cleaner?" Labour councillor Ron Grahame said that an environmental impact assessment should have been carried out under the previous Liberal Democrat/Conservative administration. Another resident said: "The council keeps telling us that there are no health issues with incinerators, but I don't think we've not had the full story." Another local man said: "98.5 per cent of people around here don't want an incinerator built on their doorstep. We need local councillors to get behind us and fight for their constituents." Liberal Democrat Burmantofts and Richmond Hill councillor Ralph Pryke said he would not support an incinerator being built in Cross Green. He said an environmental impact assessment would be carried out once a final site had been identified and a final bidder chosen. Leeds Council has shortlisted two bidders vying to build and operate an energy-from-waste plant – an incinerator able to generate electricity. The companies still in the running are Aire Valley Environmental, which wants to build the plant near Knostrop wastewater treatment works, and Veolia ES Aurora, with a preferred site of the former wholesale market in Pontefract Lane, Cross Green. Cross Green site car boot At last night's meeting, some residents also demanded answers as to why the popular Sunday car boot sale at the Cross Green site was stopped last November - just months after the area had been concreted over. Inspector Jackie Hawkes, of West Yorkshire Police, said it was closed down on police advice due to the amount of crime being committed there, the number of counterfeit goods being sold and the number of offficers taken to police it. Other issues discussed at last night's forum, which was attended by more than 40 people, included crime, new street lighting for the area and the future of run-down York Road Library. * The No2incinerator group is holding a public meeting on Monday, 13 September, at Richmond Hill Primary School, in Clark Crescent, at 7pm. A flier advertising the event says 'councillors and council officers have been invited to give answers to the questions you feel have still not been answered'. What do you think? Have your say in the comments section below.