Over 5,000 objections registered against Newtownabbey incinerator

Campaigners against proposals for a waste treatment facility in the Mallusk area of Newtownabbey have said over 5,000 objections have been lodged against the project.
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arc21, made up of six constituent local authorities in Northern Ireland, is behind proposals for a residual waste treatment facility in the Boghill Road area.

The facility is designed to deal with waste from a significant portion of the population and includes Mechanical and Biological Treatment, Energy from Waste Thermal Treatment and Incinerator Bottom Ash Treatment facilities, plus a Refuse Derived Fuel Bale Storage building and an administration/visitor centre.

Last week the Newtownabbey Times reported that South Antrim DUP representatives Trevor Clarke MLA and Paul Girvan MP delivered what they say was in excess of 160 letters of support for the project to the Permanent Secretary for the Department for Infrastructure.

Members of No-Arc21 have been campaigning against the plans since 2013.Members of No-Arc21 have been campaigning against the plans since 2013.
Members of No-Arc21 have been campaigning against the plans since 2013.

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Following the collapse of the Assembly, the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) announced in September 2017 that full planning permission had been granted for the waste disposal facility at the Hightown Quarry site. However, the Court of Appeal subsequently ruled that Stormont officials did not have the legal authority to grant such permission.

Campaigners, led by community group No-Arc21, have been voicing opposition to proposals for the Boghill Road area of Newtownabbey since they were first unveiled in March 2013.

Stating that over 5.000 objections to the proposals have now been registered, No-Arc21 Chairman Colin Buick said: “Our group has worked tirelessly for many years to highlight the very real concerns within our community about the unnecessary incinerator proposed on our doorstep by arc21.

“These concerns have ranged from air quality impacts to the expected traffic gridlock as well as the outdated technology proposed and the procurement process which has been shrouded in secrecy. I am delighted to announce that objections have reached the level they have – well over 5,000 and rising!

“Our campaign will continue for as long as arc21 propose this unwanted incinerator. Anyone who has taken the time to consider the proposal in detail knows that it represents a huge financial disaster in the making.”

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