THIS month sees the scheduled start of construction on the £165 million cross-county incinerator at Hartlebury.

As clearance of the site begins, it is fitting that readers are reminded of the issues surrounding this controversial project.

Putting aside the dire environmental hazards – such as 8,000 tonnes of toxic fly ash, containing dioxins and heavy metals released above our heads – there are also economic concerns.

Our partners in Herefordshire are facing serious financial difficulties – to the tune of £200 million – and there is a very real threat that the largest opposition party there will cancel capital projects if they gain control. The repercussions of this for taxpayers in Wyre Forest are easy to foresee.

Furthermore, changes have been made to the way the project has been financed. Mercia Waste was to have raised the loan by itself, but now the county council has taken on this burden for them. This is a very favourable deal for Mercia as it has reduced their costs, but not so much for the Wyre Forest tax-payers. They now add 25 years’ worth of loan repayments to the list of costs they are to underwrite.

Also, should the incinerator fail to reach its 200,000 tonnes of household waste per annum capacity, the shortfall will be made up by commercial and industrial waste. The companies supplying the waste will pay a heavily subsidised disposal cost. Again, this will be paid for by our taxes.

Sadly, once this out-dated and shortsighted incinerator is in operation it will not be possible to move to cheaper, more flexible and more environmentally friendly alternatives.

All of this begs the question as to why our county councillors failed to inform their electors of the risks involved.

Martin Layton Press Officer Wyre Forest Green Party