Recycling worries

I RECEIVED a glossy letter from the council a few weeks back. It informed me in glowing terms, how wonderful the new recycling centre at Witchford will be. On reading the letter more closely alarm bells rang. The letter was full of hot air with few fact

I RECEIVED a glossy letter from the council a few weeks back. It informed me in glowing terms, how wonderful the new recycling centre at Witchford will be. On reading the letter more closely alarm bells rang. The letter was full of 'hot air' with few facts to back up the statements. A lot of important questions were not answered.

For example:

# Consultation was between November 6 and December 18. Why wasn't the consultation period set after the exhibition at Witchford on November 22?

# The centre is for 'minerals and waste'. What is meant by 'minerals and waste'?

# Cambridgeshire and Peterborough City Council are jointly drafting the Minerals and Waste Plan - what area of the country would the proposed metals and waste centre serve, precisely?

# What evidence is there that 'climate change' is the cause of the need to set tough limits and impose increasing taxes on waste going to landfill?

# How much increased transport vehicle emission will occur as a result of setting up such a centre?

# Which other possible sites have been looked at and why were these rejected?

# What is meant by Witchford being 'well located' a) for whom? b) accessible for what?

# The site, the letter says, 'avoids residential neighbourhoods'. The plan shows clearly it does not avoid residential neighbourhoods. Witchford, now known as an attractive and charming village, could well become 'Wasteford'. Why have the effects of noise and smell not been considered and the site rejected accordingly?

# The proposed site would have the capacity to landscape and accommodate a waste recycling centre. Surely this applies to other sites?

# How can you say there is no likely impact on wildlife sites?

A new WRC will be a well-designed (opinion), enclosed (what will be done to ensure this will always be enclosed?) easy to use (for whom?) modern facility (when first built it will be modern - but this will be a very short-lived effect) better than anything that currently exists in Cambridgeshire (opinionated).

I notice that I may attend the 'exhibition' in Witchford yesterday (Wednesday), but my comments will be ignored because they will not be made 'at the right time'. Is 'democracy' now restricted to certain times?

ROSEMARY WESTWELL (worried resident of Witchford)

Common Road

Witchford