Colnbrook Incinerator Campaign

Grundon's proposed incinerator

This page gives the story up to Dec 04. See updates page for the latest news.

The story up to Dec 04

Permission for the huge incinerator at Colnbrook has already been granted. But building has not started and the incinerator will not be built unless Grundon can sign contracts for sufficient waste to feed the monster 24 hours a day. For more information and background see monster incinerator.

Grundon has been lobbying councillors from West London boroughs to sign lucrative long-term contracts to burn waste. This would undermine attempts to increase the amount of recycling and to reduce the amount of waste produced in the first place. Grundon and the Environment Agency are denying there is any significant health risk from incinerators, despite evidence to the contrary.

Due to sustained work by by group of concerned residents in the Slough area and by Friends of the Earth and other groups in West London, a massive campaign has built up. There have been public meetings in Langley (near Slough), Hounslow, Heston, Ealing, Feltham and Brent. Check the 'Events' box at the bottom of our home page for the latest meetings or lobbies.

Following the campaign, the conspiracy between Slough Council, Grundon and the Environment Agency to incinerate waste has been exposed to public scrutiny. In Slough there was a complete change of the political make-up at the last local election, at least partly because of the scandal of the planning permission for the incinerator. And now councillors of 4 of the 6 west London boroughs that make up the West London Waste Authority have got cold feet about sending their waste to the incinerator. They are:

• Cllr Valerie Lamey - Hounslow
• Cllr Lesley Jones - Brent
• Cllr Alan Blann - Harrow
• Cllr John Delaney - Ealing

• Cllr David Routledge - Hillingdon
• Cllr David Marlow - Richmond

At a meeting of West London Waste Authority in Sep 04, the councillors decided that they would not go headlong into an incineration contract. Instead, they would go out to tender for a proportion of their waste and would invite offers for more 'sustainable' methods of waste disposal as well as incineration.

A scandal has been exposed in the borough of Richmond. The council there, which is in favour of incineration, claims it does not have the sites needed to treat waste locally. Yet it is proposing to sell off part of one of its waste disposal sites for housing! See our press release.

Friends of the Earth contacted Ken Livingstone to tell him what was going on with the West London Waste Authority (WLWA) and their ideas about placing a contract to incinerate the waste of the 6 member boroughs. We were therefore delighted to hear that Ken has issued a 'Direction' to the West London Waste Authority. Basically, they have to get their act together and must not think of signing an incineration contract (or other type) until they have a proper waste strategy in place. See Press Notice.

A protest rally was held at Colnbrook on 4 Dec 04. Around 100 people heard speeches and saw black balloons, symbolising the pollution, released from the site of the proposed incinerator. Police were present to video protestors, in what can only be described as attempted intimidation of peaceful protestors, who were engaged in a peaceful demonstration, a long-cherished part of British democracy.

Latest news

See our latest news page for most recent update and comment.

• Current lobbying and materials
  • General leaflet (Word file)
  • Why the Colnebrook incinerator should be stopped in its tracks (Word file)
  • Why the decision must be reviewed (Word file)
  • Alternatives to incineration (Slough and elsewhere) (Word file)
  • SAIN web site
• Health threats. For reports and articles go to Incinerator health impacts page.
• Other reports, letters, articles and press releases
  • Slough residents wake up to incinerator threat
  • Some councillors support incineration!
  • Public meeting in Hounslow - May 04
  • The great air pollution confidence trick
  • List of articles from the Express in Berkshire (key in "Colnebrook incinerator" in the 'search' box).
  • Richmond sell-off scandal
• Latest newsGrundon's monster incinerator
• Back to Grundon's monster incinerator
• Back to incineration introduction
• Back to waste, recycling and incineration introduction

Your health in their hands

(Updated Nov 04)