Council must account in full for cost of failed incinerator to the public purse

2.23.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 16th Aug 2006

Peter Black and Gower Candidate Nick Tregoning at the incinerator when it was being built

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black, has described Neath Port Talbot Council's salvage operation at its Crymlyn Burrow's incinerator as a disaster waiting to happen and has demanded that the authority give a full account of the total cost of this plant to the public purse so far.

Mr. Black was speaking in response to today's news that the Council has won a High Court go-ahead to spend £2.7 million on buying the machinery and plant at the facility. They now face potential losses of £67.5 million over the next 25 years unless they can find a new partner and new investment to modernise what was once billed as a 'state-of-the-art recycling plant'. Since the liquidation of the facility's owners, HLC, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend Councils have had to pay £52,000 a week more to dispose of their waste.

"I, and many others, argued against this incinerator from the very beginning because we believed that it was inappropriate and because it was using out-of-date technology, which we did not think would work," said Mr. Black. "Events so far seem to have proved us right. Labour-run Neath Port Talbot Council and the previous Labour masters of Bridgend Council went ahead with this Private Finance Initiative despite the massive risk to the public purse. Council tax-payers in those County Boroughs will now pay a heavy price for their foolhardiness."

"This materials recycling centre and incinerator plant may have prevented hundreds of thousands of tonnes of waste being taken to landfill but it has failed to make the grade as a going concern. The financial plan has turned out to be a joke, whilst key components of the plant have failed to ever work properly. I believe that the public now have a right to know exactly how much of their money has been spent on this facility. That includes any capital contributions, revenue costs over and above those normally incurred and the cost of these legal actions."