24 November - It’s all rubbish
At
the beginning of September
BiB reported that Cory Environmental wanted to
increase the amount of rubbish delivered to their incinerator by road. Most
comes by boat along the Thames (660,000 tonnes) but the company was likely to lose the use of a wharf in Tower
Hamlets and needs to make up the shortfall somehow.
The figures sound big, 85,000 tonnes come by road now and they would like to
shift 195,000 tonnes a year. The man from Cory had said that equates to another
dozen deliveries every day.
A couple of residents kicked up one hell of a stink about the company’s requirement which I thought was
irrational. Another twelve vehicles a day into the Belvedere Industrial area is
rather less than the number of extra buses going there after the frequency of
route 180 was increased very recently - and that was welcomed.
The issue came before the Planning Committee two weeks ago. I wasn’t there but
the News Shopper reported that Councillors kicked up a big stink too with
Councillor David Leaf taking the lead.
The number of trucks heading for the incinerator appears to have increased from
a dozen to 56 which is perhaps verging on the significant. On the other hand if
the incinerator had been built a mile or so to the east and Dartford was in
charge, the 56 lorries would cut across the borough’s roads with Bexley not
being able to do a thing about it.
Maybe Bexley’s Councillors should decide if they want the borough to grow or
not. How many lorries will the Ocado warehouse bring on to our roads?
The Ocado plan agreed by Bexley Council includes
1,377 car parking spaces, 380 for vans and a total of 116 for trailers, tractor units and miscellaneous HGVs.
All heartily welcomed by Bexley Council, but fifty trucks full of rubbish to be
burned for power generation? It’s headless chicken time again.
The Planning Committee deferred their decision.