CHAIN Activity

Interested in finding out what we’ve been up to?

September 2011: SID & CHAIN meeting with Professor Paul Connett

On 15th September 2011 a world renowned speaker, Professor Paul Connett, gave a talk about the dangers of incineration at Northwich Victoria Football Club.

Professor Connett has spoken twice before in Northwich and if you have any doubt as to the safety of incineration as a waste disposal method this meeting was an eye opener. Hosted by Geoff Eden of SID (Stop Incineration in Disguise) this meeting gave the facts about what really happens to your waste when it gets burned.

Professor Connett has twice given presentations on behalf of CHAIN and is a world renowned speaker on waste minimisation and waste treatment.  You can read his professional resume by clicking here.

February 2011: Cheshire West & Chester Council vote to oppose Brunner Mond/E-On Incinerator

Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Strategic Planning Committee met on 10 February 2011 in Winsford to decide whether to oppose this application to build a massive incinerator in Lostock, Northwich.  Despite the timing and location of the meeting, over 200 local residents filled the venue to hear the debate. Many speakers, including CHAIN’s chairman, local councillors, parish and town councillors, SID and most importantly local residents spoke passionately against the application.  They urged the committee to follow their planning officers’ recommendation and oppose the plan primarily on grounds that the proposal was contrary to the Cheshire Waste Strategy and there was no over-riding need for the incinterator in waste management terms.

The strategic planning committee voted to oppose the application.  As a result of the Council’s opposition to this application, the Secretary of State (SoS) for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) will be obliged to call a mandatory public inquiry, prior to making the final decision on whether to approve this case or not.  We now await further announcements on taking this case to the next stage, and will publish details here as soon as we have them.

February 2011:  Covanta Middlewich application - Pre-Inquiry Meeting held on 7 February 2011

The pre-inquiry meeting was held on Monday 7 February 2011 at the Middlewich Civic Hall, Civic Way, Middlewich, to allow the Planning Inspector to discuss procedural arrangements.  There was a strong turnout of local residents, which showed the Inspector that we are still concerned about this proposal. The Pubic Enquiry will start on Tuesday 8th March 2011.  See Cheshire East Council website for further details/timetable

December 2010: Brunner Mond failed to attend public meeting

A PUBLIC meeting, organised by Cheshire West and Chester councillors (CWAC) to discuss Brunner Mond’s application for an incinerator was overshadowed by the company’s failure to attend.  CWAC councillors hoped representatives from both sides of the debate would join in at the meeting held on Tuesday 7 Dec 2011.

Brian Cartwright and Liam Byrne, from Cheshire Anti-Incinerator Network (CHAIN), gave a presentation at the event and anwered questions, but Brunner Mond sent a statement which said it had not agreed a date or format for the meeting with CWAC, and that key members of their project team were not available.

Clr Mark Stocks, who chaired the meeting, said: “There are a load of issues that haven’t been addressed – the Guardian each week carries stories and letters requesting information or questioning different viewpoints.   I’m disappointed Brunner Mond hasn’t seen fit to attend as there were a whole series of questions tabled.”  In his summary at the end of the meeting, Clr Stocks said: “The fact that so many people came out in the cold weather tonight indicates we made the right decision in running with this meeting.  Although I know people are disappointed they didn’t get chance to interrogate Brunner Mond, as local councillors we put the format together for a debate to take place. I believe Brunner Mond should have been here this evening.  I believe community representatives required Brunner Mond to attend, and residents would have expected them to defend and justify their application.”

October 2010: CHAIN Protest Outside Brunner Mond Public Presentation

On Tuesday 12th October, despite no invitation to present CHAIN’s views at the event (!!!), CHAIN representatives made their presence felt outside the event for all those members of the public who might have been seeking a more balanced presentation of the facts!

April 2010: opening of CHAIN store in Northwich 

 

On 10th April, Martin Bell officially opened the ‘CHAIN store’ in Northwich. The idea of the store, which is located in Weaver Square, is to provide a ‘drop in’ facility for people to come in and write letters of objection against the Brunner Mond proposal, particularly if they are unsure of what to include in a letter or how to write it. The store is open throughout the month of April on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, from 10am until 3pm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 2010: lobbying Primary Care Trust

CHAIN has been highlighting the potential risks for the people of Cheshire of living close to a cluster of large incinerators to the Central and Eastern Cheshire Primary Care Trust (PCT). Never before have four incinerators been built in such close proximity to one another, so there is no medical research to show that such a concentration is safe. Read more about this here.

January 2010: 200 rally to public meeting

Nearly 200 people braved a cold and rainy night on Thursday 28^th January to attend a public protest meeting organised by CHAIN at Northwich Memorial Hall. A number of councillors from Cheshire West and Chester Council and local parishes were present. The prospective Conservative candidate for Weaver Vale, Graham Evans, was in the audience and stood up to pledge his opposition to the incinerator. The three local MPs George Osborne, Mike Hall and Stephen O’Brien have already stated their support for the CHAIN campaign. Click here to read the press release issued by CHAIN.

January 2010: setting the record straight about Covanta propaganda

In recent months, households in Middlewich have received ‘PR’ leaflets through their doors, extolling the purported benefits of Covanta’s incinerator plans. CHAIN felt there were a number of misleading statements within the leaflet, and has issued a leaflet which aims ensure the Middlewich community is properly informed about what an incinerator in their town will mean for them. View the leaflet here.

January 2010: collecting signatures against Northwich petition

On Friday 15th and Saturday 16th January, CHAIN gave people the opportunity to sign a petition opposing the Brunner Mond incinerator by holding a stall in Northwich town centre. More than 1000 signatures were collected in the space of just 10 hours – in excess of 100 per hour. Read the full press release here. Town centre stalls will be a regular feature of the campaign. If you would be willing to help man a stall in the coming months, please send us an email.

December 2009: meeting with George Osborne  

Representatives of CHAIN met with Tatton MP and Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne to brief him about the background to Brunner Mond’s plans for an incinerator in Northwich.

Mr Osborne declared his ongoing support for the CHAIN campaign and became the first person to sign the new CHAIN petition that has since been distributed throughout Northwich. Read the full story here

 

 

December 2009: demonstration at Brunner Mond exhibition  

On December 3rd 2009, CHAIN staged a demonstration at Lostock Social Club where Brunner Mond was holding an exhibition about its plans to build a large waste incinerator in Northwich.

There were over 40 demonstrators, equipped with banners and whistles, shouting anti-incinerator slogans and making lots of noise. The demonstration lasted over an hour and was given a good reception by passers by and motorists who tooted their car horns in support.

Click here to read the press release issued by CHAIN.

 

 

 

 

November 2009: writing to councillors and MPs

Following the revelation that Brunner Mond is to put planning permission in for an incinerator in Lostock Gralam, Northwich, CHAIN has written to every single borough councillor, MP and MEP, calling them to come out fighting for their constitutents. Read the letter here.

 

Autumn 2009: lobbying Tesco

As Middlewich residents will be aware, the Tesco distribution centre, where thousands of food products are stored, is a stone’s throw away from the planned incinerator. CHAIN has written several letters to Tesco, including to Sir Terry Leahy, drawing attention to the undesirable consequences that Covanta’s plans will have for this centre. These include the inevitable smell problem that even Covant admits will exist around the site. Read CHAIN’s letter to Sir Terry.

 

July 2009: presenting petitions to the Mayor

CHAIN presented the 7,500 petitions that have been signed by Middlewich residents in opposition to the Covanta proposals to Clr Margaret Simon, Mayor of Cheshire East, at a meeting on Friday 3rd July 2009.

In a speech to supporters, Brian Cartwright, chairman of CHAIN, thanked the mayor for giving the group the opportunity to display its level of objection against the plans. Click here  to read the full story in the Middlewich Guardian.

April 2009: Middlewich demo

On Tuesday 28th April, representatives from Covanta, the multinational behind the plans to build a giant incinerator in Northwich, were met by a 40-strong demonstration outside the Victoria Buildings as they went to give a presentation to town councillors in support of their application.

April 2009: Middlewich public meetings

Over 200 residents rallied against the controversial Covanta proposals at a public meeting at Middlewich Town Football Club on 30th April. The meeting, organised by CHAIN, informed residents about the issues a 370,000 tonne incinerator would bring to Middlewich, including traffic problems, health issues and falling house prices. A show of hands at the end of the meeting showed that virtually all who had attended were opposed to the Covanta plans.

March 2009: attending Middlewich town council meeting

On Monday 16 March, CHAIN supporters attended the Middlewich town council meeting to demonstrate that local residents are worried about Covanta’s plans for an incinerator. Two of the councillors there – Paul Edwards and Simon McGrory – are on the Cheshire East Planning Committee, which is the body responsible for deciding whether or not to grant planning permission. At the meeting, a letter from Covanta stating that their planning application had been submitted to Cheshire County Council was read out. The next town council meeting is on 20 April at 7:15pm at the Council Chamber, Victoria Buildings, Lewin Street, and CHAIN urges as many local residents as possible to attend.

October 2008: attending shadow council meetings

The Cheshire East Cabinet and the Cheshire West Executive meet monthly and at the start of the meetings there is a 10 minute slot for members of the public to ask questions. For the last few months members of the public who oppose the burning of waste have been attending meetings and asking questions about incineration and waste management in Cheshire. Click here to read some of the public’s questions and the council’s answers from these meetings.

July 2008: lobbying councillors

From April 2009. the number of councils in Cheshire will be reduced from seven to two: Cheshire East and Cheshire West. We’ve written to all the new councillors in both shadow councils to introduce CHAIN and the incineration issue. Click here to read the letter.

June 2008: Middlewich public meeting

Over 150 residents turned up to a public meeting at Middlewich Football Club on Thursday 5th June to hear about why Covanta’s proposal for a 390,000 tonne incinerator is a bad thing for Middlewich, and to find out more about what they can do to oppose plans.

If you’re a Middlewich resident and would like to do something to stop these plans going ahead, please encourage friends, neighbours and colleagues to sign a petition against the incinerator. You can contact CHAIN for copies of the petition or download a copy here. We also urge people to write to their MPs, councillors and local newspapers so they know how the people of Middlewich feel about having an incinerator on their doorstep.