Oldham Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Howard Sykes MBE wonders if a recent huge fire which destroyed a waste handling facility on Mossdown Road, Heyside, Oldham will end the plan for a new incinerator.

Councillor Sykes was full of praise for the firefighters: “As always to their immense credit our firefighters responded magnificently in bringing under control the massive blaze without loss of life, but the plant is now destroyed.”

“The business model for a new incinerator, called officially an energy recovery facility as it would generate electricity through burning rubbish, was based in large-part on the supply of waste from the now-destroyed waste handling facility,” added Councillor Sykes.  “Will this mean then that Synergy’s plan for an incinerator will be put on hold?”

“For my constituents and for me this would be an enormous relief.  This is just not the right site.  The local community would be massively affected by the increase in heavy truck traffic travelling to and from the site, and we all share grave concerns about the negative impact on public health that would result from the air pollution generated through burning millions of tons of waste on site every year”.