A burning desire

DESPITE the recession's seriousness, it is still local issues – such as the building of waste incinerator plants – that are far more likely to exercise the minds of many voters.

The impassioned debates in Hull and Leeds about the siting of waste

burning plants are testament to this. People are genuinely concerned about the impact of such divisive schemes.

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These views will be fuelled, still further, by Environment Secretary Hilary Benn's comments which pave the way for more plants to be built so Britain can comply with EU legislation and reduce the amount of

waste sent to landfill.

As a Leeds MP, Mr Benn is only too aware of the sensitivities surrounding this issue. And, as a pragmatic politician, he probably realises that there's only so much rubbish which can be buried in the ground – and incinerator objectors would be equally vocal if a new landfill site was earmarked for the same location.

The Cabinet minister is, however, maintaining his green credentials by looking to utilise the power generated by such plants to help heat local homes. Though only on a small-scale, the diversification of supplies of fuel remains a critical political issue, though the UK has been slow to embrace this technology compared to other countries.

That said, the construction of a new generation of incinerators might not be so urgent if recycling policies were more effective. While many councils operate a first-rate service, the record of other local authorities still leaves much to be desired. For example, green bins are only emptied in Leeds every four weeks – while other similarly-sized cities enjoy fortnightly collections.

If the volume of household waste is to be reduced, councils need to make recycling as straightforward as possible. This necessity should not be overlooked in the wider debate about incinerators.

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