Archived press release

Prescott lobbied over hull incinerator

13 March 2002

Anti-incineration campaigners will take their message to the House of Commons on Wednesday 13 March, where they will target Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.

A coachload of campaigners from Hull will arrive in the Members Lobby to ask all three Hull MPs [1] to listen to their objections to the 165,000 tonne incinerator being proposed by waste company WRG on a site on Stoneferry Road in East Hull. The campaigners will be armed with“Wanted - John Prescott” posters in case their MP fails to meet them. The Deputy Prime Minister's office has not been able to confirm his attendance. Hull City Council turned down the incinerator last December, but the company has appealed and a public inquiry looks likely to begin in the summer.

Campaigners want to use the public inquiry to voice their concerns. They claim that consultation by Kingston upon Hull City Council and East Riding Council deliberately misled local people by calling the incinerator plan a “waste regeneration project.” Over 26,000 people have signed a petition against the incinerator - more than the number of people that voted for Mr Prescott in the last election (19,938).

Louise Arnold of Hull Against the Incinerator said:
“We don't want an incinerator in Hull. We want the opportunity to recycle waste instead of destroying valuable natural resources which can never be replaced. It's time for the government to take steps to safeguard the future for our children.”

Claire Wilton, Incinerator Campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said:
“The Government's waste strategy is in tatters. Hull is the sixth incinerator to be refused by a local authority in the last 12 months. Three others have been referred to Ministers. The Government must show it is listening by introducing kerbside recycling for every household in the country. This would avoid the need for new incinerators.“

Notes

1. The MPs are John Prescott (Hull East), Kevin McNamara (Hull North) and Alan Johnson(Hull West and Hessle).
2. Members of Hull Friends of the Earth and Hull Against the Incinerator will be meeting outside the House of Commons at 1pm.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust