Brent Resident's United Against Barnet Dump - Teather

10.00.00am GMT Thu 18th Dec 2008

Local Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East Sarah Teather has joined together with local residents in Dollis Hill to fight Barnet Council's plans for a new dump on the border with Brent.

The Conservative run Council is proposing to relocate a large waste re-processing plant next door to a residential area on Edgware Road, on the site currently occupied by local Brent employer, Bestway. If approved, the plans could see a large number of extra lorries passing by homes in the nearby Dollis Hill area every single day.

Over 150 local people attended a public meeting at John Kelly Boys College on Thursday evening to express their opposition to Barnet Council's plans. Many residents feel that the noise, dust and pollution from this new facility will be disruptive, harmful to their health, and an environmental catastrophe.

Local Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East Sarah Teather said:

"It was great to see so many local people attending this important public meeting. Residents are quite rightly furious at the plan to build a dump on their doorstep, and it is absolutely vital that they get a fair hearing from the Conservatives who run Barnet Council.

"There could be hundreds of extra lorries passing through residential areas in Dollis Hill every single week, not to mention the potential impact of pollution upon residents' health and the environment.

"Barnet Council should now delay the decision date to give more time for a proper assessment on the impact of their plans upon people in Brent. To press ahead regardless of such passionate opposition would be a gross insult to all those who turned out to defend our quality of life."

Dawood Parvez, Director of Bestway, said:

"We are grateful to the many supporters who turned up at the Stop the Dump public meeting. But what concerned me most were some of the comments made by Mr Joseph from the Brent Cross Cricklewood developers about the new waste site not having an effect on traffic. This just isn't true and above all, he is proposing to compulsory purchase our Bestway store, threatening jobs, livelihoods and the many local businesses that we serve.

"I would urge everyone to object now to these appalling proposals by writing to the London Borough of Barnet."

The plans also include a site on Tilling Way by the North Circular, where the developers intend to burn waste. The developers claim that this will be a combined heat/power station, however, as there is only an outline planning application it is impossible to scrutinise these plans, and Brent Friends of the Earth have voiced concern that it may be an incinerator.

Viv Stein, Spokesperson for Brent Friends of the Earth, said:

"Alongside many residents, we are concerned about the proposed incinerator bordering on Brent. This clearly is an incinerator as it falls within the EU Waste Incineration Directive. Developers' plans lack crucial detail on the type of technology and likely emissions, so we cannot assess the full environmental impact. We cannot let this application go through in outline without this information.

"Incineration undermines recycling, contributes to climate change, and is not a sustainable way of dealing with waste. Toxic residues such as dioxins, produced by the burning process, are highly persistent chemicals that stay in the body. We are extremely concerned how these will be monitored and impact on people's health."

Related Links:

Brent Friends of the Earth

Barnet Council Planning Department