The burning question: Why has the County Council not debated in a public forum the various ways of disposing of rubbish?

Most people agree that we need to reduce the amount of rubbish sent to landfill. Rubbish in landfill sites produces methane gas, which is 20 times stronger than CO2 as a greenhouse gas. The County Council invited bids for alternative methods of waste disposal and received proposals for incinerators. They are now considering 2 alternative sites for the whole of the county. One of the 2 sites suggested by the contractors is at Sutton Courtenay. It would involve moving 300,000 tonnes of rubbish every year along Didcot’s Northern Perimeter Road, including up to 75,000 tonnes from outside Oxfordshire.

Instead of debating openly which method of waste disposal to use, Oxfordshire County Council chose to “let the market decide”. They received tenders which reflected the priorities of the waste companies. The Cabinet abdicated its responsibility and reduced the opportunity for local residents to have their say. The alternatives have not been properly investigated. According to the Mayor of London’s advisor on waste Peter Jones: “Building an incinerator in the 21st century is like building a factory for making horse drawn carriages.” “ We are at the tipping point where waste will no longer be regarded as a problem but as a valuable resource”

We call for a public discussion of all the options