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East Leeds waste treatment plans condemned
Plans for a new household waste treatment plant in Leeds to take rubbish from businesses and neighbouring councils have been condemned by a councillor.
The proposal to take the extra refuse, risks east Leeds becoming the dustbin of Yorkshire, claims Coun James Lewis (Lab, Kippax and Methley).
In a bid to cut the amount of household rubbish dumped in landfill sites, the council is planning to build a facility – an incinerator that generates electricity or a mechanical biological treatment plant –
to deal with the city's rubbish that cannot be recycled.
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Four companies have been shortlisted to develop the plant in the Cross Green area.
And Coun Lewis, Labour's spokesman on waste issues, is angry that the shortlisted organisations are proposing to take waste in addition to that generated by Leeds homes.
He said: "I was absolutely shocked to discover in this decision that every short-listed bidder wants to take third-party waste as well as Leeds household rubbish at the proposed new waste treatment plant in east Leeds.
"By only short-listing bidders who want to accept third party, business and industrial waste the administration has tried to sneak this approach in through the back door.
"We still don't know any of the key facts regarding what third-party waste will actually mean.
"The council needs to start being honest about their plans to turn east Leeds into the dustbin of Yorkshire.
"I have written to the council's chief executive demanding that this decision is opened up to full and proper scrutiny."
A council spokesman said: "This city needs an alternative to burying its waste – the council is doing everything it can to boost recycling but the environmental and financial burden of landfill needs to be tackled.
"We are looking to bring a modern, flexible and efficient waste facility to Leeds to deal with non-recyclable rubbish collected from homes across the city.
"We feel waste should be dealt with as close as possible to where it was created. So it is sensible to allow any facility to process some waste generated by businesses in the city too, so it can operate flexibly and efficiently.
"For the same reason, we will also allow a very small amount – no more
than one per cent – to be handled from neighbouring councils.
"The whole process of short-listing contractors has been open and based on things that residents and interested groups told us were most important to them.
"We will continue to keep them informed and involved as the project progresses."
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Sunday 05 February 2012
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