Pinkham Way planning on hold
Posted: August 1, 2011
At a council planning meeting on Monday 18 July, a proposal to bring one of the largest MBT waste processing sites in Europe to North London was put on hold.
The North London Waste Authority (NLWA) wants to build an industrial waste processing plant in to manage waste from up to seven London boroughs. They plan to do this 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 (along the stretch between Bounds Green Road and Colney Hatch Lane). 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.
The Pinkham Way Alliance has been leading the campaign against the plan. It is a group drawn from the residential communities in the surrounding neighbourhoods that would be affected by this proposal. They represent residents, schools and businesses from Barnet, Haringey and Enfield.
Below is a statement they circulated following the meeting on the 18th. Of significance are the legal submissions which highlight the underhand and dishonest methods used by NLWA to ensure the Pinkham way site was selected. Even more disturbing, but not surprising, was the complicity of our local elected representatives, especially those on the Board of the NLWA in deceiving local residents.
Message from Pinkham Way Alliance:
OUR BIGGEST DEMO YET AS HARINGEY COUNCIL PUT PLANNING APPLICATION ‘ON HOLD’
A huge thank you to everyone who braved the rain to demonstrate at Haringey Council on Monday night. It was a great turnout with spirited chanting and a fantastic array of placards on display!
There is big news from the meeting itself. Haringey Council has agreed to put the current planning application ‘on hold’ – which is what we have been arguing they should do (see our legal submissions, below).
Regardless of any of our political beliefs, we all owe a debt of gratitude to Juliet Solomon, who gave this speech, and who has worked hard on this issue. We are also grateful that Haringey has seen the light and acknowledged that to determine this application before an inspector has reported on the North London Waste Plan is unacceptable. Local residents have been saying this for months, and the council now clearly agrees with us. However, if you read the council’s statement, you might think it was their idea alone. Do not be fooled. This is a major U-turn on how they would have proceeded if they had been unopposed.
We achieved this U-turn thanks to the letter writing and campaigning that we have all done, with vital – and ongoing – contributions from our lawyers. Please also be aware that this is far from the end of the story. We do not know what this delay will mean, but wherever it leads, we cannot afford to relax our efforts. We are trying to find out more about what is going to happen next and will keep you informed of any developments. Likewise if you unearth anything significant, please let us know. Most importantly: please do not let this situation slip off your radar, because it is far from over yet.
LEGAL SUBMISSIONS – UPDATE
Visit our website to read some of the excellent work done by our legal team on your behalf. You can read their submission on the Haringey Core Strategy, fighting a last-minute change of land designation for Pinkham Wood that will, if passed, make it easier for the NLWA to get planning application. Also, here’s their work on the PWA response to the North London Waste Plan – the objections that so many of you have put your names to.
Category: Uncategorised
Tags: planning & development
