Incinerator plan sparks objection

The Tamar Valley is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Campaigners say there is mounting opposition to plans for a new incinerator near the Devon and Cornwall border.

Hundreds of people packed an angry meeting organised by Stifle - Stop the incinerator fouling land at Ernesettle.

The Ernesettle site is one of four proposed by South West Devon Waste Partnership as part of a £1.5bn, 30-year "energy from waste" (EfW) plan.

The partnership said no decision had been taken over the site's location.

The three other sites being considered by the partnership are at Coypool, New England Quarry and Wrangaton.

It's unusual for an issue to unite people on both sides of the Tamar, but an incinerator will be an appalling visual intrusion Geraldine Lane, campaigner

The public meeting was also attended by South East Cornwall MP Colin Breed and Plymouth MP Alison Seabeck, who both oppose the incinerator plan.

Mr Breed said the site was totally inappropriate and he found it extraordinary it was even being considered for what he described as a "potentially disastrous" development.

Ms Seabeck said she would do everything in her power to oppose the development.

"I think somebody took a look at the options for the sites and thought 'lets put it in Ernesettle - they won't complain'," she told the meeting.

"Well boy, they were wrong. We do not want the waste to power plant in our back yard.

'No done deal'

Mark Turner, a representative from the partnership, did not address the meeting but said afterwards attending it had been very useful.

"We've encouraged people to have a voice and we're here today to listen," he told BBC News.

He insisted there was "no done deal" over the plant's location.

"We will evaluate a whole range of factors before we ultimately decide where it goes," he added.

Stifle chairwoman Geraldine Lane said the plant could adversely affect the microclimate and birdlife of the entire Tamar Valley.

Local MPs from both counties say they will fight the plans

"It's unusual for an issue to unite people on both sides of the Tamar, but an incinerator will be an appalling visual intrusion to an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty," she said.

Other concerns raised at the meeting included an increase in pollution, noise and lorry traffic.

The 30-year plan was approved by the government last year and £95m of Private Finance Initiative funding has been granted by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs towards a waste treatment solution.