Lib Dem antics at County Hall

At a meeting today, the Liberal Democrat Executive of Cornwall County Council agreed their comments on the Secretary of State’s draft of the Regional Spatial Strategy.

They backed officer recommendations that they should object to the policy “relating to the provision and spatial distribution of waste sites and facilities” and to make representations to central government to get the policy changed.

In particular, they want to see changes to Policy W2 which states that ‘strategic’ waste management or disposal facilities should be sited within, on the edge of, or in close proximity to Strategically Significant Cities and Towns (SSCTs). The China Clay Area, where an incinerator is proposed, is not within a SSCT and the only areas covered by the designation in Cornwall are Truro-Falmouth/Penryn-Camborne/Pool/Redruth.

In advance of the meeting, I made representations to the Executive along with my fellow Restormel councillors Fred Greenslade (Liberal Democrat) and John Wood (Independent).

We noted that many people are already concerned about the fact that the County Council will be making the decision as to whether their own contractor SITA should be allowed to build an incinerator in St Dennis.

We were adamant that it was not appropriate for the ruling Lib Dem administration to seek blatant changes to the Regional Spatial Strategy in order to make it easier to grant themselves planning permission for an incinerator in Mid Cornwall.

Unsurprisingly, they did not listen to us!