Alert sounded on return of Pinkham Way waste plant proposal

The Pinkham Way Alliance LINK  have circulated an alert on the return of plans to relocate Barnet's 6 acre Cricklewood Waste Transfer Station (WTS) to the Pinkham Way site, working again with the North London Waste Authority (NWLA).

The Alliance claim that any plant handling black-bag waste can have major problems with odour and fly infestations and that WTS facilities pose a particular fire risk. They quote statistics that show between 2011-2013, there was a fire in UK WTS's almost every three days. 

Barnet's facility would be directly adjacent to the A4506 and the East Coast Main Line.

The Alliance say that the number of lorry movements will approach that of the previous, abandoned waste plant proposals on one of the most polluted and congested road stretches in London.

Stephen Brice, Chair of the Pinkham Way Alliance, will be addressing Haringey Cabinet about the issue at the start of their meeting on Tuesday 14th July at 6.30pm, Haringey Civic Centre, Wood Green, N22 8LE.

He calls on supporters to be out on force in the public gallery and more, for 'barely half an hour' that evening to let politicians know the strength of local feeling.

Twitter: @PinkhamWay

Greens hail community victory over Pinkham Way waste plant

Euro-MP Jean Lambert has welcomed the decision to scrap plans for a massive rubbish treatment plant in north London, in the face of opposition from community, environmental and human rights groups.

The proposed site at Pinkham Way between would have handled about 300,000 tonnes of waste each year – more than 1% of the national total – from seven London boroughs: Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest, despite being less than 80m from the nearest housing and

with 14 schools lying within 1.5km of the site.

Ms Lambert, the capital’s Green Party MEP, said:

I am delighted that the North London Waste Authority has decided to ditch the proposals for Pinkham Way treatment plant. It’s a massive victory for local campaigners.

Now the North London Waste Authority should think about using existing sites more effectively, working to reduce household waste levels, and building smaller sites, closer to where the waste is being produced, where these prove absolutely necessary rather than developing systems that rely on ongoing waste production.

Incineration Fight: Haringey Today, Wembley Tomorrow?

As plans emerge for new waste management sites in Brent as part of the West London Waste Management Plan, some of which are likely to be incinerators, events in North London show us the way forward. The West London Waste Authority consulted on possible sites for waste management facilities but NOT on the processes and technologies which will take place in them. These will be detailed when planning applications are made to local Councils.

Things have reached that stage in the North London Waste Authority and a formidable campaign has developed around a huge incinerator at Pinkham Way.. Thanks to Haringey Greens for this Guest posting: Their interesting and informative blog can be accessed HERE

A packed public meeting organised by Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Green parties at Hollickwood School close to the proposed waste processing plant, attracted over a hundred people on Thursday (21st July) last night. As recently as this Tuesday, Haringey Council ‘put on hold,’ the plan because as they say on their website, the North London Waste Authority (NWLA) has failed to provide enough detail on the proposals. A decision on planning permission for the development will now be delayed until April 2012, by which time the NWLA should have submitted a more detailed plan.

The speakers at the event were, Colin Parish, a local resident and founder of The Pinkham Way Alliance, Darren Johnson, Green party Greater London Assembly Member, and Quentin Given, Coordinator of Tottenham and Wood Green Friends of the Earth.

Quentin, in his statement to the meeting said, “There is a problem with waste, and what we do with it. London’s Boroughs should be more self-sufficient in waste management and we need to move away from incineration, and waste sites should aim to minimise road movement of this material, which clearly this plan does not. We should also be concerned about the effects this plant will have on wildlife, which is under pressure everywhere.”

Colin, in his statement said, “This factory, will be seventy five feet high, with a chimney almost double that size. The NWLA say that this site is an ex sewage works, but that was fifty years ago, it is now lovely woodland. The plan is for over one thousand vehicle movements a day, in and out of the plant, twenty four hours a day, and we must fight it. This is the worst traffic junction in London in the daytime, and these plans will make this situation even worse.” He also made an appeal for donations to help his group’s legal costs, which he said was the best way to stop the plan going ahead.

Darren agreed that the legal challenge was very important but said “Local residents are a force to be reckoned with, and this had had an effect on Haringey Council’s action in delaying a decision.” He went on to say, “The politics is also important, the Mayor of London can, at the end of the day, decide on whether this plant is built, and with the decision delayed until April 2012, this makes it a big issue at the Mayoral and GLA elections in May next year, which is brilliant timing. This plan is based on the low levels of recycling which we have in London, but we could be achieving over 80% recycling, like they do in many countries in Europe. If we recycled more, we wouldn’t need such large plants as are being proposed. I noticed on the way here to this meeting that the recycle boxes are tiny compared to the big grey wheelie bins. It is also unfair on the people of this area to be expected to take the waste from several boroughs.”

A lively questions and answers session followed the speeches, with general opposition to the plan from all parts of the room. The meeting resolved to continue the fight against this massive scale waste plant, which would have a devastating effect on people’s quality of life in this part of north London.

UK Without Incineration Network LINK 

Animation of the Incineration Process HERE 

Shahrar Ali (Green Party GLA Candidate for Brent and Harrow ) has written up the Pinkham, Way meeting HERE

No to Pinkham Way - Public Meeting

This public meeting is organised by Haringey, Enfield and Barnet Green Parties on Thursday July 21st 7.30pm-9pm at Hollickwood School, Sydney Road, Muswell Hill N10 2NL.

One of the largest MBT waste processing sites in Europe is being proposed to be built on land that is very close to houses and schools and is currently a mature wildlife habitat that acts as a green buffer from the North Circular. It will also increase traffic congestion in an already congested area and further pollute the already poor air quality which will affect the health of nearby residents.

Come along and have your say – and hear about the possible alternatives! 

Speakers include:  

Darren Johnson, Green Party London Assembly Member, Colin Parish, local resident and founder of the Pinkham Way Alliance and Quentin Given, Friends of the Earth.

Don't clog us up with more waste plants - Darren Johnson

In June Darren Johns, Green AM,  visited Pinkham Way in north London, the site of a proposed new waste plant and refuse lorry depot. With over a thousand vehicle movements (including many HGVs) a day, the proposed waste plant at Pinkham Way would make air pollution in the area even worse and affect the health of local residents and local schoolchildren. The roads are already some of the most congested in London and residents are right to be concerned about more lorries belching out more fumes. Even without any further traffic increases, a local air quality monitoring station has already recorded 20 bad air days this year and could exceed the legal annual limit of 35 bad air days.

Darren made clear to residents that while it is vital that we have new facilities in London to deal with waste, he does not believe that huge facilities of this size or type are the way forward or appropriate in congested urban areas or close to residential areas. He argued the North London Waste Authority should be putting far more emphasis on encouraging collection of doorstep recycling and food waste, rather than concentrating on large new plant for unsorted black bin waste such as this. 

Similar issues are raised by the proposals for more waste processing plants in Park Royal, the Careys plant in Neasden, and the incinerator planned for Brent Cross.