Dorset Council’s Strategic Planning Committee unanimously rejected Powerfuel’s application for a giant waste incinerator at Portland Port on 24th March. Many local people spoke with expertise and eloquence on a range of issues including:
- Inconsistency with Dorset’s Waste Plan
- The blight on our landscape, for both residents and visitors
- The potential damage to wildlife, the arts, and as a sailing venue
Objections made by Green Councillors Brian Heatley and Clare Sutton included:
- Air pollution in general, and the impact of up to 80 extra (huge!) HGVs per day on those walking or cycling to our local schools, shops, doctors etc.
- The impact on Dorset’s World Heritage Coast and local heritage assets
- That, given the need to generate less waste rather than burn it, it would become a ‘white elephant’.
You can watch Clare and Brian’s speeches on YouTube:
Following a three year campaign, Stop Portland Waste Incinerator’s Coordinator Paula Klaentschi, a Rodwell resident, said, “The applicants may appeal the decision, so it’s not over yet but this is a great result for Weymouth and Portland. We’ve shown that, by mobilising public opinion and expert scientific arguments, communities can win against well-funded developers”.
Campaigner and former Olympic sailor Laura Baldwin, who lives with her children behind Portland Port above chimney height, said: “England should follow Wales and Scotland with a ban on any new incinerators, phase out existing incinerators, and work towards manufacturing waste out of production. Alternatives to plastic packaging exist, and shifting to a circular economy would make people feel good about their consumer choices.”