Probe into incinerator contract is called for
THE decision to award a £500million contract for the proposed incinerator at Javelin Park, near Haresfield, should be reviewed, say Labour councillors.
Coun Brian Oosthusyen (Rodborough, Lab) and Coun Lesley Williams (Stonehouse, Lab) are among a group of ten Labour and Liberal Democract councillors who are calling on Gloucestershire County Council to look again at this month's decision to award the contract to Ubaser Balfour Beatty.
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A protest earlier this month against the incinerator
They say the Conservative-led Cabinet did not properly consider the council's scrutiny committee recommendation.
"Their report said it was not sensible to award the waste contract for the incinerator until the planning permission was in place," said Coun Williams.
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"But the Cabinet just ignored the scrutiny committee's report and recommendation."
"We still don't know what financial liability Gloucestershire tax payers could face if there is a planning delay or if the contract breaks down."
The call-in request will be considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee on Tuesday. Coun Mark Hawthorne, leader of the council said the move was a "political stunt".
"The procurement of a residual waste plant to deal with Gloucestershire's rubbish has been carried out for over five years, with many opportunities for councillors to examine the process," he added.
Comments
by Ysedra
Thursday, September 27 2012, 9:28AM
“I was surprised when Stan Waddington said at the cabinet meeting that a proposal to build an incinerator had been abandoned previously, so that they had to go through the evaluation process all over again. I didn't realise that that was the proposal opposed by the Conservatives when they were the minority in council...
Still, talk of the Cotswolds is a red herring. The roads there won't take lorries full of residual waste on that scale. If a site isn't close to the M5, it's not a realistic proposition.”
by Shireresident
Wednesday, September 26 2012, 4:33PM
“Maybe councillors have had the opportunity to examine the proposals for a long time Mr. Hawthorne but have they had a chance to vote them down effectively when the whole thing has been a secret done deal for the Tory cabinet for all that time. The Labour opposition are doing the only thing they can to try and expose these back door dealings and try and delay them. It's not a stunt, it's what any decent local councillor would do. Funny how these "facilities" never seem to be built in the Cotswolds isn't it.”