Trio fighting for role as Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mayor back Wisbech anti-incinerator campaign

All three candidates in the upcoming Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Metro Mayor election have spoken out against the planned mega incinerator for Wisbech.

Members of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Climate Action Coalition, which is made up of a host of local environmental groups including Friends of the Earth, held an online question and answer session with the candidates to talking about a variety of regional environmental and climate related issues.

The coalitions is hoping to win backing from candidates for its regional climate action plan and topics covered included public transport, access to nature and housing development. Each of the candiates was also asked about MVV Environment's plans to build a 56megawatt incinerator on land off Algores Way in Wisbech.

Dr Nik Johnson, the Labour candidate said:“I would be happy to stand with MP Steve Barclay in opposing this incinerator. I have a high-level objection to any incinerator, but placing it so near a town is absurd and unacceptable. It cannot be justified at all.”

James Palmer, current Conservative Metro Mayor said: “I have been opposed to the Wisbech incinerator from the beginning. Whilst I am not fully against incinerators, the one proposed in Wisbech is clearly in the wrong location and shouldn’t be built there.”

Finally, Aidan Van de Weyer, from the Liberal Democrats said: “The decision on the incinerator is not the Metro Mayor’s responsibility. Yet, as recycling rates are stalling across the county, it is clear that an incinerator completely disincentivises further recycling and it doesn’t make sense for this one in Wisbech to be built.”

Diana Mutimer, from WisWin, the community action group campaigning for Wisbech Without Incineration said: “It’s great to see cross-party support for the incinerator not to be built in Wisbech. Wisbech is a small town and the incinerator would hugely increase traffic and air pollution locally as well as releasing tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Building an incinerator also won’t help increase recycling across the region, which we need to do in order to be a zero carbon county by 2030.”

If you want to hear direct from the candidates yourself, you can attend the Climate and Environmental Hustings happening on April 15 via Zoom. Find out more and sign up at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cambridgeshire-peterborough-climate-and-environmental-husting-tickets-145022414947