Rallying cry - join us on Wisbech Market Place for public rally call from WISwin campaigners fighting Wisbech waste incinerator plans
Campaigners hoping to stop a mega incinerator in Wisbech have issued a rallying cry for next weekend.
Mike and Virginia Bucknor, who are spearheading the WISWin (Wisbech with Incineration) campaign, are calling on everyone within the Wisbech area to join them on Wisbech Market Place next Sunday (February 16) at 2.30pm for a public rally.
The aim of the event, which was initially the idea of independent Councillor Dave Patrick, is to present a united front against MVV Environment Ltd's plans to build a 50 megawatt waste incinerator on land off Algores Way.
Mrs Bucknor said: "We need to see as many people as possible turn out, so we can send a strong message to the firm behind these horrifying plans. This will not just affect Wisbech, it will affect the whole area including the villages and parishes surrounding the town.
"Everyone needs to understand how devastating this development will be. It will create hundreds of lorries on our roads shipping in waste from hundreds of miles away. It will send poisonous particulates into the air and it will be visible for miles around as it is higher than Ely Cathedral.
"Not to mention it is near three schools including the Thomas Clarkson Academy.
"On Thursday afternoon we and the campaign team had a walk down Algores Way to see the proposed site for ourselves. It is difficult to understand exactly where it will be built as there doesn't appear to be a map pinpointing the location.
"But the developers own report suggests there will be an access off Algores Way or Newbridge Lane. They plan to build a roundabout near the big Tesco. Newbridge Lane is very narrow, it is barely more than a bridle way and they propose increasing its size to accommodate lorries.
"There are already big lorries going down there as there are a number of factories and businesses. There must have been at least 30 in the hour we were there, and that is only going to get massively worse if this goes ahead.
"We have sent out letters to everyone in the area informing them of what is planned to try to gain support. I have been contacted by the National Farmers' Union, who said their members are horrified, and have not been told anything about this. I have forwarded our letter so they can send it out to local farmers.
"I have had one person wanting to write to Prince Charles, and I have even been contacted by people who work on the Queen's Sandringham Estate, who are really worried about this and have joined WISwin.
"The company's papers are quite confusing about the location. It looks like they are planning to lease some of the land for 40 years, there are compulsory purchase orders planned for some properties and the site seems to cover the railway line.
"Quite rightly our MP Steve Barclay is strongly opposed to this and we stand right behind him in whatever efforts he makes to stop this from being built in our town.
"We really hope people will come out on Sunday and join us in fighting this monstrosity."
