Residents Against Pollution

Residents Against Pollution has scored a great victory!

2009-10-07T02:48:00.001-07:00

When we started our campaign in February last year there was a threat of a new waste facility on Blackhorse Lane. The North London Waste Plan proposed new sites for north London’s waste – mostly in the poorer working class areas along the Lea Valley – with the potential for a new incinerator in residential areas.

But we organised a campaign of local residents. After participating in the official consultations, holding big public meetings, leafleting our streets and the tube station, and protesting at the town hall, we are pleased to announce that we have won!

We demanded “Hands off Blackhorse Lane”. The latest stage of the consultation has been published – the “preferred options” report. In this report it is clear that Blackhorse Lane has been excluded from the plans – there will be no new waste facility in our area!

We demanded “No to incineration”. It is clear that the planners have moved away from incinerators, which we explained are dangerous to health and the environment, towards a policy of waste re-use, recycling and other methods of disposal such as composting.

We demanded “Give us a real say” – well we made sure our voices were heard.

However, we still have concerns and we still urge everyone to take part in this stage of the consultation process - to attend the information session on 19th October, to submit your views online, and to come to our next meeting where we will invite the consultants back again for clarification on some of the issues.

We are concerned still that:
Incineration is not ruled out – the future of Edmonton incinerator after its contract runs out in 2014 is not clear.
We want to know more about the other technologies that will be used – do these have damaging implications for health and living conditions?
Most of the new waste facilities are still concentrated in the Lea Valley.
The waste facilities will still be run by private companies for profit.

We want to raise these issues so the planners know we are looking over their shoulders – but at the same time we are happy to repeat – victory for Blackhorse Lane residents!

Be sure to have your say!

2009-10-06T04:51:00.000-07:00

As advertised on pg 9 of the Waltham Forest News issue 5, 5 October 2009 (http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/issue05.pdf) there will be a drop in information session on the proposed draft North London Waste Plan (published as the Preferred Options report) from 2pm-8pm on 19 October at the SCORE Centre, 100 Oliver Road, Leyton E10 5JY.

This is an opportunity for you to find out information about the draft North London Waste Plan, about the quantity and nature of the waste, about where the waste is being generated and where it is going to be processed. Find out more about the proposed ten new land sites including Rigg Approach, Argall Business Estate, Waltham Forest that have been identified as land on which new waste processing plants will be built and what type of waste processing technologies the North London Waste Authority intends to implement on each site and exactly what their impact will be on communities immediate to the sites and wider afield.

You can download a copy of the report and supporting technical documents from www.nlwp.net, paper copies are available to view at Waltham Forest Town Hall, Sycamore House, Forest Road, London E17 4JF and libraries in the borough. There will be an online questionnaire, posted on www.nlwp.net on the 14th October for you register your response to the draft plan or you can also give further feedback regarding your questions and views to feedback@nlwp.net or in writing to Archie Onslow at Camden Town Hall, Argyle Street, London WC1H 8EQ.

All responses must be received by 24th November 2009.

A community meeting for residents

2009-10-01T06:24:00.000-07:00

The Preferred Options Report, the draft The North London Waste Plan, will be out for consultation between 14 Oct - 24 Nov 2009.

Residents Against Pollution (RAP) is in the process of organising a community meeting for residents to meet a North London Waste Authority representative during this consultation period and to find out more about the proposed waste processing methods and technologies.

Details of this meeting will be posted shortly. You can subscribe (subscribe button is in the right hand column) to receive updates everytime a new post is added to this blog. Just remember that you will need to confirm your registration by clicking on the link in the verification message sent to your inbox in order to complete the registration and for you to receive our updates.

You can also find information about the opportunities for you to give feedback on the draft plan here:http://www.nlwp.net/have_your_say/have_your_say.html

Make sure you have your say.

Read the Preferred Options report, the draft of the North London Waste Plan for yourself

2009-09-29T08:11:00.000-07:00

You can download the Preferred Options report, the draft of the North London Waste Plan here: http://www1.walthamforest.gov.uk/moderngov/Published/C00000287/M00002017/AI00010870/10AppendixBPreferredOptionsReportFULL.pdf

A draft of the North London Waste Plan has been published and will be out for consultation between 14 Oct - 24 Oct

2009-09-29T07:57:00.000-07:00

Residents Against Pollution have received an email from Rachel Crozier, Associate, CAG Consultants, informing us that a draft of the North London Waste Plan, known as the Preferred Options report, has been published and will be out for consultation between 14 Oct - 24 Nov 2009.

"Dear Paula

The North London Waste Plan will identify the sites which are most suitable for new waste facilities and set out planning policies to guide all future waste developments.

Following last year’s consultation on the issues and options for the Plan, managed by CAG Consultants (www.cagconsultants.co.uk), the seven North London boroughs have now put together a draft plan, known as the Preferred Options report which includes information about some possible sites for waste management facilities.
.
The draft plan will be out for consultation between 14 October and 24 November 2009. During that time, there will be a range of opportunities for groups and individuals to give feedback including a drop in session in each borough between 2.00-8.00pm. Please go to http://www.nlwp.net/have_your_say/have_your_say.html for further details.

If you would like members of the team responsible for preparing the plan to attend one of your group's meetings to discuss the proposals with you and give your group an opportunity to respond, please let me know. Clearly we will make every effort to accommodate your group but it will depend on how many groups request a visit and the sooner you contact us, the easier it will be to set up. If possible we would like to come between 26 October and 30 November 2009. However if this is not possible, in some circumstances, a meeting could be arranged up until Friday, 18 December 2009.

We look forward to hearing from you, and please let me know if you have any questions at this stage.

Kind regards, Rachel

Rachel Crozier
Associate, CAG Consultants
t: 0117 377 1137
m: 07870 185116
e: rachelcrozier@organisingsolutions.co.uk "

Celebrations And Jubilations

2008-12-18T04:22:00.001-08:00

Residents Against Pollution have something to celebrate at the end of 2008.

We started 2008 with a threat to the health and safety of local residents. A consultation began on the North London Waste Plan, which was looking at new sites for waste disposal across North London. There was a risk that at least one of the facilities could be a new incinerator or expansion of the Edmonton incinerator (under the euphemistic guise of Energy from Waste (EfW) plants) and the Blackhorse Lane regeneration area was earmarked as a potential new site.

At the start of the year, local residents launched our campaign against these plans with a public meeting of 40 angry residents in the Blackhorse Lane area. We demanded: Hands off Blackhorse Lane, No to Incinerators, and Give us a Real Say! We also protested about the fact that around two-thirds of existing waste facilities in North London are in the working class area along the Lea Valley, mainly Enfield and Waltham Forest, and that half the new proposed sites were in Waltham Forest.

When the results of the first phase of the consultation, published in the summer, confirmed our suspicions, we called a protest at the town hall. Around 20 local residents gave out leaflets door-to-door and at the tube station and college.

In a short time and with hardly any money, we reached around 30,000 people with our material – considerably more than the 20 people the consultants managed to get along to their workshop! 30 people came to our lively protest, and a small group lobbied another council meeting two weeks later. The Waltham Forest Guardian reported on our campaign three times.

Suddenly councillors, the consultants and the waste authority all wanted to talk to us. We invited them to attend our next meeting, where once again around 40 local people made our views clear. Though it is still of some disappointment and no little disenchantment, that the three Higham Hill Ward Councillors (including Cllr Patrick Smith who is on the LBWF Environment Scrutiny Committee) seem reluctant to honour their offer of a community meeting with RAP supporters. We are pursuing this matter further.

As a result of these actions and meetings we are pleased to report that our message seems to be getting through. Though we only have verbal hints at this stage, it looks like Blackhorse Lane is now unlikely to be chosen as a new waste site. We are trying to get something in writing, and we won’t know for sure till the “preferred options” stage of the consultation process is reached in May, when it will be clear whether Blackhorse Lane is still an option. But this is great progress!

The North London Waste Authority has now voted on its plans for the type of technology they want to use over the next few years. Their document is entitled “A Future Without Incineration”! Once again there are big warnings attached to this – the plans still have to be approved by government, and they are dependent on private finance, which in the current disastrous economic climate is far from assured. Many in the RAP campaign believe that waste disposal should not be a privatised service but should be brought back in-house.

Nonetheless, a written plan to avoid incineration (i.e. not to build a new or expand the existing Energy from Waste [EfW] plant) across seven North London boroughs is a huge achievement. This is in a context where both the European Union and the government are pushing for a big increase in incineration as a solution to the problem of landfill sites.

But our campaign argued that incineration is no solution – it is dangerous, polluting, and there are much safer and “greener” technologies which a genuine plan to reduce, re-use and recycle waste should utilise. We have added a local, organised and active voice to the national propaganda from campaigns such as Friends of the Earth, and it would seem we have had an effect.

We cannot be complacent. Nothing is guaranteed. RAP campaigners are continuing to keep up the pressure on local councillors, and are ready to campaign again in May next year. But we end the year with something to celebrate: campaigning works!

NLWA Business Plan Outline: A Move Away From Incineration

2008-12-17T04:29:00.000-08:00

Here is the North London Waste Authority's press release re their Business Plan to secure funding both private and governmental to realise the North London Waste Plan. This was misinterpreted in the Waltham Forest Guardian article entitled Greens Breathe a Sigh of Relief (online version here), 16th-22nd Oct 2008 edition.

"A future without incineration

The North London Waste Authority (NLWA) has today announced plans which would see a move away from traditional incineration and landfill in favour of a more sustainable approach to managing waste in the area.
The Authority, in partnership with the seven north London boroughs (Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest), is rethinking the way in which household waste in the area is managed.
A new long term approach that prioritises waste prevention, reuse, recycling and recovery over sending waste to landfill and incineration is being sought.

Speaking today, the Chair of the North London Waste Authority, Councillor Clyde Loakes said:
"The NLWA is seeking a 21st century solution to managing waste in the area.
"As an Authority we believe that prioritising waste prevention, reuse, recycling and recovery over current disposal methods will enable us to manage our waste in the most affordable and environmentally friendly way we can.
"We hope that this approach will not only help us reduce north London's carbon footprint but will also enable us to offer our residents the best possible solution for managing waste into the future."

In north London approximately 1 million tonnes of waste is produced every year, currently only 24% of this is recycled, the rest is either incinerated (40%) at the Edmonton incinerator in Enfield, or goes to landfill sites in the Home Counties¹ (36%).
The aim is that by 2020 north London will be meeting tough regional, national and European waste targets and will be achieving:
• A 50% recycling and composting rate (double the existing rate); and
• A reduction in the amount of waste sent for disposal to landfill from 36% to 15%;

Like authorities across the UK the NLWA must meet these targets or face being heavily penalised. In order to meet these targets new waste facilities are needed.

The new plans have been developed to ensure north London has the necessary facilities in place when its existing waste disposal contract comes to an end in 2014. They form the basis of a business case which members of the NLWA² will be asked to formally approve in a meeting on 29th October.

The business case sets out the Authority's plans for dealing with waste in north London and the facilities it needs to effectively do so. It also acts as an application for millions of pounds of financial support³, which will help the Authority cover the cost of the new facilities.

If approved by NLWA members on 29th October, the business case will be sent to government for consideration.

The proposed plans for north London include:

• Four new and refurbished household waste and recycling centres (sometimes called “civic amenity” sites);
• Two new materials recovery facilities to sort metal, plastics, glass, paper and cardboard so that they can be recycled;
• Composting and anaerobic digestion facilities; (anaerobic digestion is the process that turns biodegradable waste into biogas which can be used to create electricity)
• Two mechanical biological treatment plants to treat waste which cannot be recycled to create fuel;
• A combined heat and power plant that uses that recovered fuel instead of fossil fuels; and
• A sustainable transport solution involving rail and/ or water transport.

The Authority has begun to look at where new facilities will be located and has considered sites across all seven north London boroughs. Although it is too early to know the exact location of these sites it is looking likely that they will be located in the Hendon and Upper Lee Valley areas. Commercial negotiations are however still under way.

Both these fall within areas identified by the Mayor of London, in the London Plan, as suitable for waste facilities. These areas also fall within the North London Waste Plan⁴ which has been through various stages of public consultation.

Further information on sites will be made available as negotiations progress.

Notes to Editors:
For more information please contact Rosie Elliott, Media and Marketing Officer for the North London Waste Authority, on 07789 032324 or rosie.elliott@camden.gov.uk.

1) Space in landfill sites is fast running out. There are currently only three years left before all landfill space in the east of England is filled up (at the current disposal rate, according to the Environment Agency).

2) The NLWA is made up of 14 councillors, two from each of the seven North London boroughs (Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest). It is these 14 councillors that ultimately make decisions relating to the disposal of North London's waste.

3) The NLWA will be applying for financial help through PFI (Private Finance Initiative) credits. PFI has been used to pay for new schools and hospitals and is increasingly being used for funding new waste facilities. What it means for north London is that we can get financial help for investment in much needed facilities, easing the burden on local tax payers.

4) The North London Waste Plan is the land use planning document being developed by the same seven north London boroughs in their role as planning authorities to tackle all waste produced in North London (not just household waste as in the case of the NLWA). The North London Waste Plan is a completely separate process from the NLWA. For more information go www.nlwp.net.

About the North London Waste Authority
The North London Waste Authority (NLWA) was established in 1986 and is the waste disposal authority for Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest. This means its primary function is to arrange the transport and disposal of waste collected by these boroughs. It is the second largest waste disposal authority in the country.

The waste disposal costs are split between the 7 boroughs through a levying system. The system is worked out based mostly on the amount of waste disposed (in tonnes), which means the more each borough delivers to NLWA, the more it has to pay."

Lobby On the Town Hall Steps

2008-10-13T08:51:00.000-07:00

After the success of our protest on the Town Hall steps on the evening of the LBWF Cabinet Meeting two weeks ago, we will be meeting again on the Town Hall steps on Tuesday, the 14th of October, 6:30pm to lobby councillors attending the Full Council meeting.

We will be handing our statement to as many councillors as possible and alerting them to our disappointment that the Cabinet agreed to approve and adopt the revised draft of the North London Joint Waste Strategy (NLJWS) even though residents were not consulted during the course of the revision of the strategy, despite the fact that the North London Waste Authority (NLWA) had committed to consulting the public in the drafting of the North London Waste Plan (NLWP). It is now clear that the strategy is part and parcel of the plan.

There was a public consultation after the draft revised strategy was published, however this was poorly advertised (Barbara Herridge of the NLWA told RAP supporters at our recent meeting that there was a press release and two advertisements placed regarding this public consultation but couldn't confirm where they had been published) and it was documented in the report tabled at the Cabinet Meeting that the response to this consultation was poor. It is also of concern that recommendations (detailed in paragraph 5 and 6 of the NLWA’s report attached at Appendix A of agenda item 10) that had been made regarding revisions to the five proposed options for waste disposal went unheeded and as tabulated in Table 1: Features of the Five Scenarios Assessed by the SEA (the Strategic Environmental Assessment of the North London Joint Waste Strategy process), pg 16 of the pdf, pg 169 of the document, the five options remain almost entirely unchanged from the original strategy of 2004. It is evident that four of the five scenarios propose the building of a new Energy from Waste (EfW) plant. It is disappointing that the Cabinet nevertheless approved this strategy when it was already known that four of the six new waste processing sites, to process the waste of seven North London boroughs, proposed by the NLWA are either within Waltham Forest or immediately on the borough's borders. It is disappointing that the LBWF Council thereby seems to be supporting the NLWA's policy of Technology Neutral Procurement; the sites for waste processing will be purchased before it is decided (or declared) what technology will be implemented on each site.

It is disappointing that the LBWF Council appears to believe that the health of Waltham Forest residents does not need to be safeguarded. It is disappointing that the LBWF Council does not fully comprehend our community's profound hopes to see the Black Horse Lane area and Waltham Forest responsibly developed in ways that positively regenerate, encourage and enrich community, culture, environment, commerce, and employment.

Campaigning Works!

2008-10-03T06:37:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who has got stuck into the campaign so far. We had a great protest at the Waltham Forest Town Hall on Tuesday – around 30 local residents joined up with residents, families and workers at Walton House elderly people’s home who are campaigning to save their home from privatisation. It was a noisy, visual protest despite wind and rain, and we managed to collar councilors on their way in and out of the Town Hall.

With a tiny amount of money we have reached something in the region of 30,000 people with our material and had a big effect. Thousands of people in the Blackhorse Lane area now know about the plans.

We’ve spent around £200 and have raised £110 so far from donations and tins on stalls – if anyone else can put in some money at the next meeting that would be fantastic; we are also hopeful of a donation from Unison and we will still get money when we do stalls.

Most importantly cages are being rattled. Having tried to ignore us or fob us off for months, suddenly now councillors are replying to us, and both the consultants running the public ‘consultation’ and the North London Waste Authority (NLWA) want to meet with us.

We are also starting to get information that things are changing. We have been told two important things – one about the North London Waste Plan and one about the North London Joint Waste Strategy (this is the one the cabinet discussed and voted on in July and which looked like they might have agreed to expand the Edmonton incinerator).

On the North London Waste Plan – we have been told by the chair of the Environment Scrutiny Committee that they have told the NLWA that they would not support a new site at Blackhorse Lane, and that the NLWA said they probably wouldn’t be putting anything there (possibly Hendon instead). Of course we cannot trust this until we have it guaranteed in writing, but nonetheless it’s the whiff of progress.

On the North London Joint Waste Strategy – Barbara Herridge of the NLWA said to Paula on the phone on Tuesday that the document that the all the councils were sent for approval was changed by the Mayor during the consultation phase. Although the document includes a table of options, one of which, the expansion of Edmonton incinerator, is posed as the preferred option, that is then changed later in the document to say that they are not to have a preferred option, and that they are to be ‘technology neutral’. That does not mean no incineration of course, but it does mean they have not decided to expand incineration either. Then at the protest on Tuesday, Councillor Patrick Smith, a Higham Hill Ward Councillor and member of the Environment Scrutiny Sub-Committee told Frances that after the committee's meeting on the 17th of September Councillor Terry Wheeler had produced a revised statement – which might mean the same thing, or it might mean something else, but we have requested a copy of this statement.

Our meeting on Wednesday will be a chance to clarify these points with Archie Onslow from the consultants and Barbara Herridge of the NLWA, as well as to make our main points to them strenuously.

They will then leave the meeting, and we will be able to discuss where we are at as a consequence, what we need to do next, and who can volunteer to do what.

See you there, bring your neighbours!

Meeting, Wednesday, the 8th of October, 7pm at St Andrew's Church Hall

2008-10-02T07:01:00.001-07:00

Residents Against Pollution are having a meeting on Wednesday, the 8th of October, 7pm at St Andrew's Church Hall, off St Andrew's Rd. Archie Onslow and Barbara Hedge have requested an appearance at our meeting. Archie Onslow is the Programme Manager for the North London Waste Plan (NLWP) consultation. Barbara Hedge is a member of the North London Waste Authority (NLWA) and is one of the decision makers on the plan. We have also invited the Higham Hill Ward Councillors to attend.

This is a chance to have your say!

If you are interested in participating in the campaign, or spreading the word by distributing meeting flyers to your street, workplace, sport or social club, please could you download the flyer artwork, photocopy it and distribute it. There are 3 flyers per A4 page so it should only cost you between 80p - £1.00 to flyer your street. Please check the Leafleting Petitioning page to see which streets are already covered and then please send us an Email to residentsagainstpollution@googlemail.com with the subject "Leafleting/petitioning" to let us know which street(s) you are able to cover so that we can update our records. If you are unable to download and print off the pdf template flyer, email us with your address and we will post a hardcopy to you.

SEE YOU AT THE MEETING.

Protest On The Town Hall Steps

2008-10-02T06:30:00.000-07:00

On the evening of Tuesday, the 30th of September, a large crowd of Residents Against Pollution supporters braved the chill and gathered on the Waltham Forest Town Hall steps to voice their concerns about:

The implications of the North London Waste Plan (NLWP) on the health of the residents of Waltham Forest.
The lack of resident consultation on the NLWP so far.
The fact that the LBWF Cabinet is already tabling documents on the North London Waste Strategy, about proposals for the disposal of the borough's domestic waste (Strategic Environmental Assessment and Adoption of The North London Joint Waste Strategy ) which seem to overlap the decisions being made on the North London Waste Plan and therefore residents should be consulted.
The fact that incineration is being embraced as a safe, efficient and ready technology to dispose of waste to meet the EU Landfill Directive targets. We don't want incinerators!

We will be meeting again on the Waltham Forest Town Hall steps on Tuesday, the 14th of October, 6:30pm to lobby councillors attending the Full Council meeting.

SEE YOU THERE!

Leafleting Petitioning

2008-09-11T17:30:00.001-07:00

In North London we are being 'consulted' on the North London Waste Plan. There has been one workshop in Waltham Forest attended by about 20 local people. The vast majority of residents know nothing about the plans. The consultation methods so far have been insufficient and very low key.

If you are interested in participating in the campaign, spreading the word by distributing meeting flyers and/or petitioning your street, workplace, sport or social club please send us an Email to residentsagainstpollution@googlemail.com with the subject "Leafleting/petitioning". After checking the table below, to see which areas have already been covered, please let us know which new areas you can cover and whether you are interested in leafleting or petitioning or both.

If your street has already been covered and you do not wish to leaflet / petition in unfamiliar streets, do still contact us as we may be able to partner you up with the other person distributing in your street - many hands make light work.

STREET
Blackhorse Lane
Bemsted Rd
Blenheim Rd
Bramley Close
Bunyan Rd
Buxton Rd
Carisbrooke Rd
Carr Rd
Century Rd
Chatam Rd
Chewton Rd
Church Rd
Claremont Rd
Clarence Rd
Clifton Ave
Colville Rd
Cumberland Rd
Elmsdale Rd
Elphinstone Rd
Fairfield Rd
Farnborough Ave
Fleeming Rd
Goldsmith Rd
Gloucester Rd
Hamilton Rd
Hartington Rd
Higham Hill Rd
Higham Place
Higham St
Hillyfield
Holms Ave
King Edward Rd
Lancaster Rd
Lee Close
Longfield Ave
Lowther Rd
Mayfield Rd
Mersey Rd
Monks Close
Mount Pleasant Rd
Norfolk Rd
Northcote Rd
Oakfield Rd
Oatland Rise (including the St. Andrew's Ct block of flats)
Pasquier Rd
Pembar Ave
Pennant Terrace
Pretoria Ave
Priors Croft
Queen Elizabeth Rd
Renness Rd
Roma Rd
Shakespeare Rd
Stirling Rd
Sutherland Rd
Tavistock Ave
William Morris Close
Winns Ave
Winns Terrace
Worcester Rd

Our Health At Risk

2008-09-02T03:26:00.000-07:00

Seven North London boroughs are making new plans for waste disposal. They are looking at possible new sites for dealing with all waste in North London - household, business, and toxic waste. Of 6 proposed new sites, 4 are along the Lea Valley and two are in Waltham Forest. The Blackhorse Lane industrial estate is one of these proposed new sites. Though they are not yet definite, it is very likely the plans will include a new incinerator at one of the sites, and/or expansion of the Edmonton incinerator.

Residents Against Pollution is a campaign by local residents in the Blackhorse Lane area and others across Waltham Forest. We set up our campaign after we found out about the public consultation on the North London Waste Plan. We say:

HANDS OFF BLACKHORSE LANE!
Blackhorse Lane is currently designated an industrial area for planning purposes, which is one of the reasons why it is being considered as a waste site. It is, however, also a residential area, with a higher than average proportion of children and people with limiting long-term illness. Not only that, several new, large scale, high density housing projects are under development in the near vicinity, which will make the area considerably more densly populated. Instead of improving amenities to cater for the increased population (e.g. additional parks, libraries or leisure facilities) which would help to improve the health of residents, proposals are to site a waste facility, possibly an incinerator there. Is this not at odds with the regeneration plans which were so well publicised by the council, but which now seem to have gone quiet, and which made no mention of a waste disposal site? Certainly it is difficult to see how a waste site serving all of North London fits in with the council’s plans, as described by Cllr Loakes, to make Blackhorse Lane a "thriving, more attractive part of the borough".

DON'T DUMP ON WALTHAM FOREST!
The planners are looking at different sites across North London, a disproportionate number of them are in Waltham Forest. Most incinerators in the country are in poor, working class areas. Why should a densely populated area such as Waltham Forest have to deal with a huge percentage of the waste generated by seven boroughs? Why are there not proposed sites in the less densely populated, wealthier areas?

WE DON'T WANT INCINERATORS!
Government policy is to encourage new incinerators to be built, they call it 'energy from waste' to sound environmentally friendly, but actually incineration is an unsafe method. It is true that there does need to be alternatives to landfill. But NOT at the expense of our health!

High infant mortality rates and respiratory problems are linked to pollution emitted by incinerators. Studies have shown higher rates of adult and childhood cancer and birth defects. Incinerators do not solve the problem of landfill because the ash produced is 30 to 50% of the original waste volume and is buried in landfill sites. They release carbon dioxide that contributes to global warming.There are safe alternatives: various forms of composting, anaerobic digestion or gasification. 94% of public waste can be dealt with by methods other than incineration, and the remaining 6% is safer sent to controlled landfill rather than burning it. We think the profit motive should be taken out of waste disposal and investment put into re-use, recycling, waste reduction, and safe alternatives to incineration.

GIVE US A REAL SAY!
In North London we are being 'consulted' on the North London Waste Plan. There has been one workshop in Waltham Forest attended by about 20 local people. The vast majority of residents know nothing about the plans. The consultation methods so far have been insufficient and very low key. The link between obtaining 'energy from waste'and the building of new incinerators has not been made clear. In the Blackhorse Lane area we set up a Residents Against Pollution campaign and 40 local people came to a meeting to object to the plans. That meeting was clear: don't dump on working class areas, no to incinerators, and we want a real say!

But since then Waltham Forest council has made decisions about how to deal with household waste. It looks like the strategy could include expanding the Edmonton incinerator. Why were we not consulted about this? How can we trust that our concerns are being taken into account about the Waste Plan, when a decision is made about strategy for household waste and we don't know about it?

Here is the full Residents Against Pollution Statement that we have presented to councillors on your behalf.

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Have Your Say

2008-09-02T03:24:00.000-07:00

Things you can do to have your say:
1. Write emails voicing your concerns and questions about the North London Waste Strategy Plan.

Who to write to:

Email your local Councillors You can find your local Councillors here: http://www1.walthamforest.gov.uk/moderngov/mgFindCouncillor.asp?J=2

Email council party leaders:
Email the Labour Council Leader, Cllr Clyde Loakes
leader@walthamforest.gov.uk
Email the Liberal Democrat Council Leader Cllr John Macklin cllr.john.macklin@walthamforest.gov.uk
Email the Conservative Group Leader Cllr Matt Davies cllr.matt.davies@walthamforest.gov.uk

Email all Councillors
Word document with all email addresses supplied here.

Your councillors are duty bound to respond to you so chase them up if you do not get a reply.

2. Use the internet Write to the Mayor of London - There is an easy-to-use online contact form for you to contact Boris Johnson here: http://www.boris-johnson.com/contact/

3. Spread the word! You are welcome to use the Residents Against Pollution campaign materials to spread the word.

4. Subscribe to the Residents Against Pollution blog.

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Campaign Materials

2008-09-02T03:22:00.000-07:00

These A4 posters can be printed off and posted in your front room window, the passenger window of your car, pinned on club and community notice boards, pasted on the back of a breakfast cereal box or any other recycled cardboard and used as a placard, they can be folded into paper aeroplanes or used to wrap packed lunches - any imaginative means you can think of to spread the word.

RAP poster: I </3 The North London Waste Plan
Click on the image to download an A4 PDF for printing.
Click here for a black and white version of this poster.

RAP poster: LBWF Did Not Consult Me!
Click on the image to download an A4 PDF for printing.
Click here for a black and white version of this poster.

RAP poster: Neigh to incinerators! Not on your nelly!
Click on the image to download an A4 PDF for printing.

RAP poster: Walthamstow 2012
Click on the image to download an A4 PDF for printing.

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Have Your Say: Participate In The RAP September 30th Action At The Town Hall

2008-09-01T17:53:00.000-07:00

Have your say. Bring your concerns about the decisions councillors are making now on The North London Waste Strategy, and their future implications in The North London Waste Plan, to the attention of the LBWF Council.

Join local residents in front of the Town Hall steps at 6pm, on Tuesday, September the 30th. Bring your neighbours, family and friends. Make your own banners and placards, or print our campaign posters and bring them. Make up chants, and anyone will be welcome to say what they think on the megaphone. Let’s make it clear to Waltham Forest councillors that we will not let them put our health at risk!

If you'd like to support the campaign by distributing leaflets informing people of the Residents Against Pollution campaign and the action at the Town Hall on September the 30th please go to the 'Leafleting Petitioning' page for details.

FAQs

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Should you have any questions about the North London Waste Plan or the North London Joint Waste Strategy that are not answered below please send us an Email to residentsagainstpollution@googlemail.com with the subject "FAQ" and we’ll do our best to answer them for you.

What is the North London Waste Plan?
Seven London boroughs are co-operating to look at potential new sites for dealing with all waste – household, commercial, toxic waste – from North London. Part of the plan is to decide how much of North London’s waste should be dealt with in North London. The plan has no concrete proposals at the moment for what kind of facility would be on each site. There is no definite plan at the moment to increase incineration, but it is government policy to do so. There are currently 68 waste sites in North London. The Lea Valley already bears the brunt of these sites.

Which new sites are proposed?
Six new ‘industrial’ sites are proposed, which are earmarked as ‘strategic employment areas’. Four are in the Lea Valley. The planners are keen to point out that these are not definite and that other sites could be possible, but have not yet named them.

Barnet Northern Telecom Industrial Business Park
Enfield Great Cambridge Road Industrial Business Park

The four “Preferred Industrial Locations” in the Lea Valley:
Brimsdown - Enfield
Central Leaside Business Area – Enfield, but on the border with Waltham Forest
Blackhorse Lane – Waltham Forest
Lea Bridge Gateway – Waltham Forest

Which boroughs are involved?
Waltham Forest, Hackney, Islington, Camden, Barnet, Enfield, Haringey. Two councillors from each borough take part in formulating the North London Waste Plan – we have been told that Waltham Forest is represented by Councillors ~~Terry Wheeler~~ Clyde Loakes (who has been appointed chair of the NLWA) and Bob Belam.

What is the consultation process?
A two-year consultation started at the beginning of 2008 and is due to reach a conclusion and start work in 2010. The first phase of the consultation was a workshop in each borough in January/February this year. There was no serious attempt to get people to these workshops – no leaflets through doors, for example. They were advertised in the local papers and only about 20 people came to each one. There have also been stalls in shopping centres, but again not advertised.
The next phase won’t be till the start of 2009, which will be the ‘preferred options’ stage. At this stage it is said nothing is ruled in or ruled out but by sometime in 2009 there will be definite proposals.

What is the North London Joint Waste Strategy?
There is a separate strategy which was started in 2004 and was ‘updated’ in July 2008. It deals with household & business waste only, but involves the same seven boroughs. The councils in each borough discussed options which seem to include an expansion of the Edmonton incinerator, although it is proving difficult to find out exactly what has been agreed. We are concerned that we have been involved in the consultation on the Plan but not the Strategy, when clearly the two overlap.

Isn’t too early to campaign now, when there’s nothing definite to protest about?
While there are no definite plans we need to be clear – not Blackhorse Lane, stop dumping on the Lea Valley area, and we don’t want more incineration. If we wait till there are definite proposals, it will be harder to shift them.

Contact Residents Against Pollution

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Residents Against Pollution is a campaign of local residents in the Blackhorse Lane area and others across Waltham Forest. We set up our campaign after we found out about the public consultation on the North London Waste Plan.

If you have any queries or suggestions or if you can help with printing or leafleting, if you have time or skills you can offer to further the campaign please send us an email: residentsagainstpollution@googlemail.com

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Read It For Yourself First Hand

2008-09-01T05:31:00.000-07:00

The North London Waste Plan (NLWP) This is the official site published by the North London Waste Authority (NLWA). They have laid out their timetable for the plan and also set out "the scope for public involvement in different stages" in the site's 'Have Your Say' section.

Draft of The North London Waste plan: the Preferred Options ReportFollowing last year’s consultation on the issues and options for the Plan, the seven North London boroughs, Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington, Waltham Forest, have now put together a draft plan.

The North London Waste Plan: Issues and Options Report. This report was produced after the findings of the first stage consultation. Of particular concern is that it lists four “Preferred Industrial Locations” in the Lea Valley:

Brimsdown - Enfield
Central Leaside Business Area – Enfield, but on the border with Waltham Forest
Blackhorse Lane – Waltham Forest
Lea Bridge Gateway – Waltham Forest

as a proposed sites for Waste processing; see pg36 ‘Map 2 Strategic Employment Locations in North London Suitable for Recycling and WasteTreatment as Identified in the Early Alterations to the London Plan [Table 4A.7]’ ).

Strategic Environmental Assessment and Adoption of The North London Joint Waste Strategy A report tabled at the LBWF Cabinet meeting Tuesday, 22nd July, 2008 7.30 p.m, wherein Table 1: Features of the Five Scenarios Assessed by the SEA (the Strategic Environmental Assessment of the North London Joint Waste Strategy (NLJWS) process), pg 16 of the pdf, pg 169 of the document, it is evident that four of the five scenarios propose the building of a new Energy from Waste (EfW) plant (in lay terms, an incinerator).

Here is the full Residents Against Pollution Statement that we have presented to councillors on your behalf.

Here are the Minutes of the RAP meeting on the 8th Oct 2008 when NLWA representatives were invited to give a presentation on the NLWP to residents, that we have also sent to councillors on your behalf.

United Kingdom Without Incineration Network The UNWIN site publishes updates and case studies of local anti-incineration campaign groups, pools resources devoted to anti-incineration campaigning and in collaboration with Friends Of The Earth has developed an interactive map of existing and and potential household waste incineration sites. UNWIN is also in the process of publishing more in-depth information about a range of waste management and incineration topics to be stored in the UNWIN Knowledge Bank.

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