States of Guernsey abandons incinerator plan

The States of Guernsey has abandoned plans to build a £93m energy-to-waste incinerator.

At the end of one-and-a-half days of debate, deputies voted in favour of an amended requete calling for the current plans to be scrapped.

Public Services Minister Bernard Flouquet, who was behind the plans, said he would support the move if it was the will of the assembly.

His department will now be responsible for drawing up a new waste strategy.

Public criticism

In July the States agreed to the plans for the incinerator and entered into negotiations with Suez Environment, a French company, to build the plant at Longue Hougue.

That decision has come under increasing public criticism with several other alternatives being put forward and a petition supporting one option being signed by more than 13,000 islanders.

A group of States members, led by Deputy Jan Kuttelwascher, placed a requete [Guernsey French for request] that if passed the incinerator plans would have been debated again by the States before a final contract was signed.

But two amendments to this requete were passed and changed its aims completely.

Deputy Mary Lowe's idea to scrap the plans completely and go back to the drawing board were passed by just one vote, 21-20.

Shipping waste

Six States members abstained from the vote, Deputy Sam Maindonald and the five members of the Environment Department.

The department had been informed they could not vote on the amendment as the planning process, for the plant, which under their responsibilities they may be asked to approved at a later date, had already begun.

The other move came from Deputy Rhoderick Matthews and directed the Public Services Department to revisit shipping waste to Jersey.

In the end the amended motion went through by 38-2 votes, with seven deputies abstaining. This again included the Environment Department and Deputy Maindonald with Alderney Representative Richard Willmott joining them.