County Council incinerator plan for Trowse unsuitable and short-sighted

4.49.35pm GMT Mon 8th Jan 2007

In a letter to the Evening News, Liberal Democrat councillor for Lakenham, Hereward Cooke, writes:

"Hunt the site" for the next WRG incinerator seems to be the game that the County Council is playing in telling us that they know where they would like the site to be but without disclosing its location (E News Jan. 6th). And the finger of doom is presently pointing in the Trowse direction.

Such an idea is as short-sighted as is the whole Incinerator programme. Trowse and its surrounding area is about to embark on a transformation that will leave a positive, natural mark for years to come. Look at Whitlingham Country Park, itself the result of local generousity, which provides outdoor recreation of value to urban Norwich. The Deal Ground could boast a marina, homes and small-scale boat-related businesses and the Utilities Site has the potential to house an environmentally friendly PowerHouse of national significance.

These projects must not be spoilt by the imposition of an incinerator on the area.

And then for a dangerous incinerator to be placed anywhere near the water-treatment works would also be ruled out because of the proximity to residents and John Barnard`s work-shop.

So I hope that the County Council will not keep us in the dark about their incineratable ideas before it is too late, but will also be aware of the opposition to them throughout the county."