SITA SET TO "STICK TWO FINGERS UP TO CORNWALL" AND APPEAL INCINERATOR DECISION

12.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 28th Aug 2009

Steve Gilbert says to SITA "Don't doubt the resolve of people in St Dennis and Cornwall to fight any appeal"

Steve Gilbert, the Prospective MP for St Austell & Newquay, has learnt that waste company SITA is due to appeal the decision of Cornwall County Council to reject the giant incinerator planned for St Dennis and has called on Cornwall Council to use "the best legal team available" to defend the original decision.

Steve said: "SITA are putting two fingers up to people in St Dennis and across Cornwall who have made it perfectly clear that they didn't want the planned incinerator. Cornwall Council must now use the best legal team in the country to defend the original decision to reject the plans."

Steve Gilbert learnt about the appeal in an email that he was mistakenly copied into by Cornwall Council asking for a "private and confidential" Councillors briefing to take place on September 1st, "in advance of the announcement of the CERC appeal by SITA".

Steve Gilbert is also calling for the private briefing to be held in public. He said, "What we don't need now is for Councillors to meet behind closed doors to decide what to do. It's been perfectly clear over the last two years that people in St Dennis know as much, if not more, as officers and Councillors about this issue and they will no doubt have a valuable contribution to make."

"Both Restormel Borough Council and the former Cornwall County Council voted against the proposals. It's now up to the new Cornwall Council to make sure that they employ the best legal team in the country to fight the SITA appeal - they must not give an inch."