Lib Dems Demand Tories Explain Catalogue of Errors over Rookery South Incinerator

Bedford Borough Liberal Democrats have demanded a full explanation of the Tory-run County Council's 'catalogue of errors' that has led to the prospect of hundreds of thousands of tonnes of waste being imported into Bedfordshire from Buckinghamshire to be burnt in a giant incinerator near Stewartby.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Implementation Executive Member Cllr Michael Headley said: "The full extent of the Tory County Council's catalogue of errors over its proposals for a giant incinerator at Rookery South pit is now becoming clearer. It claimed last October that it had negotiated a lock-out agreement with the landowners to prevent any other party from acquiring the site. Clearly it hadn't, leaving the way clear for waste disposal firms to come forward with proposals for Rookery South after the County declared that it was to be used for a giant incinerator. Unsurprisingly, that is exactly what has happened, yet the Tories claim to be shocked by Covanta Energy's plans for a huge rubbish-burner at the site.'

"However, the only people who can justifiably feel angry are local residents, who have been left exposed by the Tories' mismanagement of this whole process. They now face the prospect of thousands of tonnes of waste being imported from Buckinghamshire to be burnt on their doorstep in an incinerator three times the size of the county's own flawed proposed plant. If this terrible prospect becomes reality, there will be a very clear line of responsibility back to the Tories on the County Council. We demand a full explanation of how the Tories got us all into this awful mess."