As regards to the effects on health locally, the report from the Division of Chemical Hazards & Poisons, London, said that on the basis of current knowledge, it would appear that no significant health effects would be expected arising from the operation of this process.

Turning to consultation, The Citizen of September 1999 informed every resident in the Borough that the application for planning permission from Grundons had been received and invited them to request more information, attend public meetings and make their views known.

On 23rd September 1999, an evening public meeting was held jointly by the Planning Authority and the Environment Agency at Colnbrook Village Hall - it was well attended, and leaflets were produced to promote the meeting. There was extensive media interest with both radio and press coverage. West London Friends of the Earth were present at the meeting. West London FOE's website featured several pages on the proposal. Around 100 local businesses, official agencies and nature organisations were consulted on the plans.

Spelthorne District, Buckinghamshire County Council, London Borough of Hillingdon, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Surrey County Council, The Joint Strategic Planning Unit, South Buckinghamshire District Council, Bracknell Forest Borough Council were written to prior to the application and reminders were sent. The London Boroughs of Hounslow, Ealing, and Hammersmith & Fulham were also sent information on the proposal.

Copies of the application to the Environment Agency and the planning application were made available at the Environment Agency’s Reading office, Wellington House, South Bucks District Council, Spelthorne Borough Council’s offices, Windsor & Maidenhead Council’s offices in Maidenhead, and the London Borough of Hillingdon’s offices.

Turning to the council’s waste strategy, we undertook a review bearing in mind the new government targets for waste and recycling that the Council is required to meet. The Council consulted widely using leaflets distributed throughout the town, a specific survey of the Citizens panel and consulting a wide range of organisations, groups and individual councillors. The results of this consultation directly influenced the preferred waste management option chosen by the Council.

Following consideration of a range of alternatives, the final decision was to intensify dry recycling and composting to significantly reduce waste going to disposal and that the preferred waste disposal method was energy from waste. This was specified as part of the tender documentation for the Environmental Services contract.

Choosing to go to energy from waste will provide long-term gains. The Council’s Waste Management Strategy reduces the burden on the council and its taxpayers of the increasing costs in landfill taxes per year. Unfortunately, there are currently no cost effective alternatives to landfill or energy from waste for disposal of waste. In addition, landfill can not be used for the disposal of some waste, including clinical waste.

Kerbside recycling collection have not stopped, they started to change last May when black boxes collecting paper, card and glass were distributed to part of the town. Residnets can now recycle paper, card, glass, tin and aluminium cans through their black boxes and we will be providing a kerbside collection of green waste this summer. The participation rate in the scheme is continuing to grow and recycling rates have already significantly improved from 12% to around 16%.

The Council has taken a long term sustainable view of waste management and has made significant progress on this issue in the last four to five years.