Biomass - My view!

This morning I have been putting a letter out in our area putting across the views of myself and our MP. The text is set out below.

I have also joined the facebook group No to Southampton Biomass http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/No-Southampton-Biomass/143482112383289

Additionally I wanted to talk to one of the movements co-ordinators, but this has not been possible due to her other commitments. This issue shouldnt become political - but it has as so many people are saying that the Labour Party are for these proposals. THAT SIMPLY ISNT TRUE.

Text of my letter is below:

Over the past few months we have been working to raise awareness of the proposals by energy company Helius to build a biomass power station in Millbrook.  We've attended public meetings and exhibitions about the scheme. We've also been going door to door, talking with local residents face to face and asking for their views.

We've LISTENED - here's what you told us:

• Helius and the Conservative Council have failed to address residents’ concerns about the size of the proposed development; increased congestion; and the overall impact on our neighbourhood.
• Residents are angry about the lack of information being put out about the plans by both the Council and by Helius.

We said we'd LISTEN and ACT on what you told us. Here's what we're going to do:

• We'll be making a formal submission to the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) calling on them to reject the Helius proposals.
• We'll ask the IPC to look at whether potential alternative sites for the plant have been properly explored.

Of course we’ll continue to support efforts to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, but we are clear that the plant proposed by Helus may well not achieve this end and is definitely in the wrong place.

We are also worried that Conservative Councillors have failed to be straight with local people about their role in these plans.  Below is an extract from the Southern Daily Echo article the day the plans were first published:

“Southampton City Council’s Cabinet member for environment and transport, [Conservative] Councillor Matt Dean, said he was delighted that the plans were moving forward and would boost Southampton’s credentials as a sustainable city.”

-          Southern Daily Echo, Tuesday 17^th August 2010

We are deeply concerned that Southampton’s Tory Council is saying one thing to Helius and something completely different to local residents.  We believe people whose homes and communities would be affected by these proposals deserve better than that.