Let's work together plea as Wisbech Town Council calls special meeting over waste incinerator plans
An extraordinary meeting of Wisbech Town Council is to be held to discuss setting up a special anti-incinerator working party.
The move, which has been suggested by Councillor Sam Hoy, aims to unite all the various campaigns currently being run in the town against plans to build a 50 megawatt waste incinerator off Algores Way.
Meanwhile Councillor Steve Tierney will be proposing a motion at this Thursday's full Fenland District Council meeting calling for the authority to do everything within its legal powers to fight the plans by MVV Environment Ltd.
In November he proposed a motion calling on the town council to oppose the incinerator but at that time there was no proper proposal and Coun Tierney said the only option was to write to those who owned land around the site asking them not to either sell or lease to MVV.
He said: "Now we have a proper proposal and I have come up with a motion which will be put to members at Fenland's full council meeting on Thursday, unfortunately it was too late for it to be discussed at last night's (Monday's) town council meeting.
"There were a number of other issues including whether or not we should provide financial support to the town's football club for their new stand, which also came up too late. As a result we decided to call an extraordinary meeting to discuss my motion, setting up a working party to oppose the incinerator and also the football club grant.
"Initially we were going to hold it a week on Friday (28) but some of the independent councillors were unable to make that, and as the idea of the working party is to unite everyone we changed it to the Monday (March 2) to accommodate them. The last thing we want to do is alienate anyone.
"We need to work together and that means putting aside our differences and working with people we don't normally get along with. The hope is that someone like Ben Prest will chair the working party with one of the independents, such as Dave Patrick as the deputy chairman, so that it is neutral.
"The good thing about a working party is that you don't have to be a councillor to join, which means anyone can be on it. We would like all those running a campaign to join us - we don't want to control what they do or take over - but working together we send a united message to the company.
"It means we can co-ordinate and not replicate work already being done. I won't be on the working party, as I understand some opposition people don’t like me and our animosity maybe unhelpful.
"I'm sure I'll be criticised for that, and people will suggest it's because I don't want to do any work, but that cannot be farther from the truth. I will do everything I can to oppose this. We have had 10,000 leaflets printed thanks to the new travel agents Sunlounger Travel and I will spend as many hours as necessary delivering them.
"I just don't want to give people an excuse not to join the working party, which ultimately aims to unite everyone. Councillor Sam Hoy, will also not be on the group, but like me will be working away in the background.
"We are busy organising a date for a public meeting next month - we are just waiting on the availability of our MP Steve Barclay. He is key in fighting this incinerator. It is not our job to stop it. It is our job to raise awareness, scare people if necessary so they understand the full implications and get them writing letters and making our voices heard.
"It is Steve's job as our MP to stop this by working in the background.
"I just hope people can put our differences behind us and take the suggestion of a joint working party in the way it is intended - to unite the town against this hideous monstrosity, which will be the only thing people will remember about Wisbech, as it will dominate the skyline and be the first and last thing people see."
