MIDDLEWICH Town Council voted against the proposed Ansa waste transfer site at a special meeting in which was described as the biggest problem the town has faced for three years. 


The town council held a special meeting on Monday, June 29, at Middlewich Town Hall to discuss the planning application of the controversial waste transfer site submitted by Cheshire East Council.


Each councillor had five minutes to make their views known before a proposal to reject the application was made by Cllr Mike Hunter, seconded by Cllr David Williams, and voted for with eight in favour and two abstentions. 


Cllr David Latham declared an interest in the application as the founder of the Action Against Ansa campaign group, but gave a speech asking the town council to fight the application as it did against the incinerator application three years ago. 


Cllr Latham said: “I’d like to thank all of the councillors for their comments tonight. What I would like to say is that our meeting this evening is for the largest and most problematic topic this town has seen for three years.


“In my mind we’re now virtually back where we were three years ago. The council fought with all its might against a very similar application for a waste incinerator site in Middlewich and stood with Cheshire East and not against it. 


“But now council leader Michael Jones just wants to make a profit and £30m seems to be the amount made from just sale and acquisition alone.


“This application will not only affect our children, but it will affect our children’s children.”


The rejection and feedback from Middlewich Town Council will be used for consideration by Cheshire East Strategic Planning Board at the meeting on August 26.