A meeting held to build bridges between the proposed Wisbech incinerator and the community has been heavily criticised by campaigners.
Ginny Bucknor, a lead campaigner with Wisbech Without Incineration, has criticised MVV Environment Ltd, the firm behind plans for the 54-megawatt incinerator planned for the town, following Wednesday’s meeting to set up a community liaison committee held at the Oasis Centre.
She said: “It cannot be expressed how very angry folks were because of the lack of communication by MVV who had invited only those who had expressed an interest around five years ago plus some major stakeholders to the meeting – there was nothing even on their website.
“Residents and businesses who may have wished to attend were unaware. The meeting was therefore not constructive.”
Dr Nik Johnson the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority was among a smattering of local authority representatives to attend the meeting which saw Mrs Bucknor, nominated as the committee’s interim chairperson.
Mrs Bucknor said the next meeting will be on February 5, again at the Oasis Centre in St Michael’s Avenue, and MVV have been urged to ensure it is more widely publicised including writing to business owners in around the proposed incinerator site on Algores Way and to other stakeholders in the community.
It was also agreed that MVV set up a liaison meeting with Cambridgeshire County Council Highways, Fenland District Council, the Environment Agency, West Norfolk Borough Council and other authorities with representatives from the newly formed community liaison committee plus two representatives from businesses.
Mrs Bucknor said: “In this way, we can ensure concerns are fully represented.”
MVV have also been asked to advertise the date of the meeting on their website and to post their communications manager’s contact details so people can raise issues they want discussed at next month’s meeting.
All those at Wednesday’s meeting will be kept in the loop and again have the opportunity to ask questions fo the developer ahead of the meeting.
A multi-language quarterly newsletter is also going to be provided by MVV to ensure that all members of the community can see what is happening as the development of the incinerator gets underway.