Rebecca Harris has welcomed the news that Essex County Council's planning committee has refused an application for an incinerator to be built on Archers Field on the Burnt Mills Industrial Estate in Basildon.

Rebecca and her colleagues Stephen Metcalfe, John Baron and Mark Francois first asked the Council to refuse this application in March 2021 and in the last few weeks raised further concerns about the plans. In particular, they highlighted the environmental impact the proposal would have had on people living close by with high levels of pollution and thick fog-like dust coming from the site in an area very close to people’s homes.

Commenting, Rebecca said; “Together with Conservative Essex colleagues, we pointed out once again to the Secretary of State the problems approving this application would have caused for residents across the area. I was therefore very pleased to see Essex County Council listen to residents’ views about this and they have now refused this application.”

They had asked the Secretary of State to call in the application and were therefore pleased to see Essex County Council reach this decision before this step was necessary. Should this decision be appealed, Rebecca will continue to oppose this application.