Friends of the Earth Cardiff Cyfeillion y Ddaear Caerdydd

Haf Elgar (Friends of the Earth Cymru), Councillor Gavin Cox, Heather Webber, Anne Greagsby (Green Santa), Adam Johannes, Jenni Swettenham, Colin Robinson, Julian Rosser, Councillor Martin Holland. Photo: Chris Brown, Cardiff Friends of the Earth.

This action is now closed. Thank you to everyone who took part.

A Green Santa accompanied by members of Cardiff Friends of the Earth and Splott Councillors delivered a Christmas parcel containing hundreds of objections against incinerator to Cardiff Planning Department on Friday 19th December.

Cardiff residents have been voicing their opposition to a planning application from Viridor waste management for a 350,000 tonne per year waste incinerator to be situated in Trident Park, Cardiff.

Cardiff Friends of the Earth handed over a petition with more than 100 signatories from the Splott and Tremorfa area. Residents here are particularly concerned about emissions from the incinerator as they are already subject to the second highest dioxin emissions in Wales from the Eastmoors Steel works.

More than 100 letters of objection to the planning application were also handed in from residents all over Cardiff who were appalled at the thought of 256 extra waste lorries every day rumbling through Cardiff bringing in waste from all over South Wales.

Heather Webber of Cardiff Friends of the Earth said: “Judging by the response we have had in such a short time, these objections are just the tip of the iceberg. People are rightly angered at plans to burn waste from all over South Wales in an incinerator in the heart of Cardiff. This is not just NIMBY-ism, incineration is not a 'green' technology and there is no sense in driving huge amounts of waste around the country increasing congestion and pollution. Other, less damaging and more sustainable, technologies are available that could be implemented in each local area.”

There are cleaner, greener technologies – such as Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) – that can work as smaller, flexible units, close to where waste is produced, and will recover more recyclable material whilst producing less harmful waste.

The council planning department have indicated that, due to the size of the plant, they will accept objections into the new year - beyond the statutory deadline of Christmas Eve.