Standing up for Bedford Borough - Covanta Incinerator

Mayor Dave Hodgson has a record of standing up for Bedford Borough on the issues that matter - from Bedford Hospital to Putnoe Walk-in Centre to Bedford's rail services, Mayor Dave has stood alongside local residents to get the best for local communities.

Another issue where Mayor Dave has a long record of standing up for local communities - including long before he was first elected as Mayor - is the proposed Covanta Incinerator near Stewartby, which he has fought against at every stage.

The campaign group Bedfordshire Against Covanta Incinerator has published a statement from Mayor Dave on his position on the incinerator, which will see almost 600 lorry journeys take place over local roads every day.

In it, Mayor Dave recounts some of the history of the issue, including the selection by local Conservatives of Rookery South pit as an incinerator site and his own actions in opposing the plans at every stage.

He writes in his statement that "...the (former Conservative County Council's) BEaR project proposal for an incinerator at Stewartby perhaps inevitably brought forth Covanta's commercial proposal for an incinerator there. I lined up alongside residents to argue, demonstrate and lobby and against this.'

"After the undemocratic quango the Infrastructure Planning Commission gave planning approval, I asked Council officers to seek any possible means of challenging that terrible decision, and we launched a joint legal action with Central Bedfordshire Council which triggered a parliamentary process which saw a Conservative-led committee of parliamentarians all from elsewhere review the decision, with the power to strike it down. Sadly they upheld it"

You can read Mayor Dave's full statement here https://bedsagainstincinerator.wordpress.com/bedford-borough-mayoral-candidates/dave-hodgson/