Cambridgeshire County Council has hit back at allegations by MP Steve Barclay that cash given as part of the Wisbech incinerator project for the local community will not be spent in the town.
On a social media post, the North East Cambridgeshire MP claimed the £400,000 being paid by the firm behind the 54-megawatt burner, MVV Environment Ltd, was going to the coalition-run county council, with its leadership from the Liberal Democrats and Labour wanting to spend it on cycle paths and “not even on cycle paths in Wisbech”.
He said: “Having said I was concerned that the latest MVV consultation was a sham, and that some local campaigners risked being taken in by it, we now sadly have the confirmation this is the case.
“As part of the incinerator proposal, the developer has to pay a financial contribution called Section 106 money for local infrastructure.
“A total of £400,000 of Section 106 money, in two instalments of £200,000 each, will be given to the Lib Dem/Labour-run Cambridgeshire County Council. The Liberal Dem / Labour council want to spend this on cycle paths, and not even cycle paths in Wisbech.
However, a council spokesperson hit back and said there were rules in place on where and how the money must be spent.
They said: “We are receiving £400,000 from the developer, to be shared with Norfolk County Council as the relevant local highways authorities to improve the Public Rights of Way and routes for non-motorised users in our counties.
“Cambridgeshire will receive 75% of the total because the facility will be within our county and so it will have a greater impact on the Public Rights of Way and routes for Non-motorised users in our area.
“The S106 legal agreement dictates that the money be spent to improve the Public Rights of Way and routes for non-motorised users in Wisbech, Wisbech St Mary and Elm in Cambridgeshire and Emneth in Norfolk.
“The project is in its early stages and so details of how the money will be spent have not been finalised.
“To help make the decisions on how the Public Rights of Way and non-motorised user improvements will be delivered, we intend to engage with the relevant parish councils and local members about what priorities they would like to be considered for their local area.
“We will provide updates on the project on the Council’s project webpage as the proposals progress at www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/waste-and-recycling/wisbech-incinerator
The spokesperson added: “Details of the financial contribution and the obligations for the council, including what the money will be used for were discussed at the public examination of Development Consent Order (DCO) of this Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project by the Planning Inspectorate and are a matter of public record.
“The link to the specific S106 legal agreement which covers the payment details is here.”
However, Mr Barclay added that he believes the best way to finally stop the incinerator being built is to undermine its business case and claimed Lib Dem and Labour candidates in the upcoming county council election in May have not signed a boycott he has launched to refuse to send waste to the incinerator.
Mr Baclay said: “It is also notable that the Lib Dem leader of the county council has been silent on this money.”
He continued: “We should work to undermine the business case for the incinerator by starving it of waste from local authorities, by getting councils to commit to boycott it. Incineration is the dirtiest way to produce energy. There is sufficient capacity already nationally. So this incinerator is not needed.
“Instead of being played for fools by the developer, council candidates standing this May should come off the fence and make clear they will have nothing to do with the consultation and pledge not to vote to use the incinerator.
“I have published the names of those who have signed and those who have refused so that voters across Cambridgeshire have this information at stevebarclay.net/campaigns/stop-wisbech-incinerator.”
