Foreshore 'best for incinerator'

Belfast City Council voted against the incinerator

An incinerator on the north foreshore of Belfast Lough is still the best option for dealing with the city's waste, Edwin Poots has said.

The idea was recently rejected by city councillors, but the environment minister said it was the best option and wants the issue re-examined.

SDLP councillor Pat Convery criticised Mr Poots and said his decision flew in the face of the democratic process.

Mr Convery said Mr Poots should instead concentrate on reducing waste levels.

"The environment minister is also responsible for recycling and our recycling in Belfast at the moment is 27%, or it was at the time we went and did the vote on the incinerator," he said.

"He has a lot of responsibilities and one of the responsibilities, I think the greater one, would be about reducing, re-using and recycling material as opposed to imposing something that the democratic process in the city of Belfast voted against."

Mr Poots said EU landfill levies would cost Belfast ratepayers £2.4m a year.

This does not include the 10 other councils affected if the incinerator does not go ahead.

Arc21

"What would go there would bear no resemblance to what existed at that site for many years, people need not fear from the quality of process that would exist there," said Mr Poots.

"I was actually talking to somebody who would be interested in establishing industry in the area and I asked them the question would the incinerator be an issue for them if they were wanting to come there and create jobs, and their view was absolutely not."

The incinerator project is being managed by Arc21, a waste management group which represents the 11 councils.

A spokesman for the Department of Environment said they were in the process of drawing up powers to allow Arc21 to vest land for waste management purposes, and the proposal would go before the assembly.

Last month, Belfast City Council voted against plans to build the waste incinerator on land it owns on Belfast Lough's north foreshore.

However, councillors voted for a mechanical biological waste treatment centre at the site.

Councillors had already rejected the incinerator plan, but it was revealed the casting vote had been wrongly attributed to a councillor who was not at the meeting, and a further vote was required.