When the joint administration came to power we inherited a Council that had been in Labour control for the last 21 years. We inherited a council that was seen as a soft touch by developers. The reason why Grundons applied for planning permission for the incinerator in this authority is because they knew that the Labour controlled council at that time would do nothing to oppose it.

We are now currently working with officers and instructing them to report on alternatives and costed options of disposing Slough's waste other than by incineration.

We passed a motion on 20th July 2004 at the Council meeting instructing officers to report back at the next full council. I personally, as the Commissioner for Public Protection, will be working very closely with the relevant officers to look at, and cost out, alternatives.