CONGRATULATIONS to the people of Hatfield, Welham Green, Brookmans Park and Colney Heath and to all those from further afield who have objected to this Planning Application to build an incinerator at New Barnfield, and well done to all those people who have made great efforts to remind other people to send in their objections.

We know some important objections have also been sent in from organisations, local and national. We are expecting objections to have gone in from local groups concerned with footpaths, angling, and cycling, as well as from local environmental groups such as Welwyn Hatfield Environmental Network and the North Mymms Green Belt Society. We know that objections have also been made by environmental groups from across the county, such Friends of the Earth, Herts WithOut Waste, Green Party and Transition Town groups. An objection regarding the impact on Southfield School has been sent from Herts National Union of Teachers. Lord Salisbury has put in an objection, and we think he has the support of English Heritage and the Garden History Society, who are among the statutory consultees. (The objections from statutory consultees are going up on the hertsdirect.org website as they come in - and these will be worth looking at. Search for newbarnfieldplanning.) We know that there have been objections from Hatfield Town Council and from North Mymms Parish Council. We think that Colney Heath and Shenley Parish councils have also objected. Welwyn/Hatfield Borough Council will be objecting, and have been allowed extra time to formulate their response. Welwyn/Hatfield M.P. Grant Shapps is also opposed.

Hatfield Against Incineration have submitted a 54-page objection, in co-ordination with The New Barnfield Trust, who have also submitted a detailed objection. Legal advice was obtained, financed by the New Barnfield Trust.

The Objections to the Planning Application now have to be looked at by the Development and Control Committee of Herts County Council. We have been told that they are unlikely to consider the application earlier than the meeting on Tuesday June 19th or Thursday July 18th (10 a.m. at County Hall).

The membership of the Development and Control Committee that will judge the Planning Application is not yet known. Some members of the current committee will be standing down as they have been involved in decisions about the incinerator on Cabinet and Waste Management Committee, and there may be other changes to the membership of the committee. The political make-up of the committee will be in proportion to the make-up of Herts County Council, with 11 Conservative, 3 Lib-Dem and 1 Labour.

Nine county councillors who are currently on the committee, and are likely to remain on it, are: Conservatives: Bryan Hammond (Hertford Rural), Clare Berry (Hatfield North), Eddie Roach (Potters Bar), John Usher (Potters Bar and Shenley), Nigel Brook (Hitchin Rural), Peter Ruffles (St. Andrews, East Herts), Ray Shakespeare-Smith (Hitchin North) Lib-Dem: Steve Drury (Croxley), Chris Brazier (The Colneys).

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT YOU CAN TELL THESE COUNCILLORS YOUR VIEWS, BUT THEY MUST NOT MAKE A COMMITMENT TO BE FOR OR AGAINST THE PLANNING APPLICATION, BECAUSE IF THEY DO MAKE A COMMITMENT, THEY HAVE TO STAND DOWN FROM THE COMMITTEE.

(We will post on this website the names of all the members of the final committee when we know them) If the Development and Control Committee ignore the massive opposition, and the many strong arguments, and do approve Veolia’s Planning Application, it then has to be referred to the Secretary of State, because the site is in the Green Belt.

So we are now well on the way to defeating the incinerator plan, and protecting people and the environment.