Last week I attended a meeting to hear a report on the current situation in regard to Sutton Bridge Parish Council’s decision to seek guidance in respect of getting a judicial review of South Holland District Council’s granting of planning permission for a gasifier/incinerator plant at Sutton Bridge.
I had previously attended a meeting at which the council had agreed to make a capped sum of £10k available for this purpose. We were told that having spent some £2,500, a majority of the council decided they would not take the matter any further, on the premis that this would bankrupt the Council. This despite the fact they still had £7,500 left.
The meeting had been called by Shirley Giles, a pensioner, who had offered to fund the £2,000 out of her own pocket, but the council refused.
As we were told that such developments were planned for areas of least resistance, such decisions, of those by both the parish and district councils, should come as no surprise.
The meeting was told, at some length, of the history of these plants, the potential impact of emissions, both through
the six stacks to be erected and the heavy increase of HGVs also the potential danger of placing such a plant next to
the existing power station, near to the Wash and in an area of potential flooding.
A previously-held petition was signed by 950 residents, but totally ignored. So much for the Localism Act.
In conclusion, failure to defeat the planned development will confirm the feeling that Sutton Bridge, with an additional power station, gasifier/incinerator and wind farm, is a dumping ground.
Still we can draw comfort from the promised 30 pieces of silver, sorry, money for local community projects.
And anyway, who cares?
BJ Smith
Sutton Bridge