MP Daniel Kawczynski will lie in road to stop Shrewsbury incinerator

MP Daniel Kawczynski today vowed to lie in the middle of road to stop construction work starting on Shrewsbury's £60 million incinerator.

Mr Kawczynski, MP for Shrewsbury, made the defiant claim despite admitting he knew his efforts to make a stand and delay work could see the police called to intervene.

He said he was angry that Government planning inspector John Woolcock this month gave waste contractor Veolia permission to build the burner, which will burn waste from across the county, at Battlefield on the outskirts of the town.

The Tory urged people to let him know when work on the waste facility appeared to be starting so he could lie flat across the road forming an obstruction to the site.

The politician said a meeting was being set up this week between him and the NOBIS (No Burners in Shropshire) group so he could brief them on how his recent emergency meeting with Veolia chief executive Robert Hunt went, and to decide how they would now oppose the development.

He said: "I also still intend to use parliamentary privilege powers in Parliament to say exactly what I think of Veolia and the current state of the planning process.

"The planned site for the incinerator is very close to my constituency office.

"I urge residents to keep their eyes peeled because they will probably try and start the work when no-one is expecting and I intend to lie down on the road to stop the first construction lorry get onto site."

He has also written to Commons speaker John Bercow to apply for a debate on the power of the planning inspectorate over local authority decision making.

Veolia, which is responsible for waste management on behalf of Shropshire Council, claims the burner will be able to generate enough energy to power 10,000 homes.

See also:

• Fears Shrewsbury incinerator will see residents stop recycling

• Shrewsbury incinerator will create 200 jobs

• £60m Shrewsbury incinerator gets the go-ahead