Plymouth Labour challenges Tory incinerator posturing

By PRSD, on Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Devonport: Labour opposes the plan for an incinerator at Devonport – but where do the Tories stand?

Mark Coker, Labour’s candidate in Devonport, Plymouth, who has been running the campaigning against the incinerator at the dockyard, has written to the Conservative Party candidate for Devonport ward and Oliver Colville MP, the Tory MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport to ask them to state clearly whether they support or oppose the incinerator. Labour has been running an active campaign against the incinerator being located in Devonport for the past year.

Mark Coker told the PRSD: “Let me make this clear Labour is opposing the dockyard incinerator 100%. We think it is the wrong technology in the wrong location.

“The people in Devonport know that the Tories are forcing an unwanted incinerator on our community and I’m standing continuing my campaign against the incinerator up to the election and beyond.

“What voters in Devonport might not be clear on is where the Tory candidate and our Tory MP are in terms of whether they support the incinerator or not. Is Oliver Colville in favour or against the incinerator? It is time he made his position clear to voters in Plymouth.

“At the last council meeting Labour called on the Tories to consider other alternatives to incineration to deal with Plymouth’s waste. Every single Tory councillor voted against our proposal. The Tories want to burn rubbish in Devonport. Voters in Devonport know the Tories are proposing the incinerator and no amount of pre-election posturing will change that.”

Tudor Evans, the leader of the Labour Group on Plymouth City Council said: “The Tories want to build an incinerator in the dockyard. Labour does not. Plymouth’s Tory MP has been silent on the matter for too long. Will he join Labour and his constituents in opposing the incinerator or back the Tory Council in supporting an incinerator. He cannot be silent on this matter.”