PLANNING bosses currently considering whether an incinerator should be built in Middlewich say they ‘owe it to residents’ to have all the information they need before making a decision.

A spokesman for Cheshire East Council said there has been ‘no intentional delay’ in making a decision over an ‘Energy-from-waste’ facility at Midpoint 18 business park.

Last week, Cheshire Anti-Incinerator Network (CHAIN) said the lengthy planning process, which started in March, has caused ‘fear and anxiety’ for thousands of Middlewich residents.

Brian Cartwright, chairman of CHAIN, added: “We all expect that the Cheshire East Council will not be bamboozled or intimidated by Covanta’s ploys.

“However, we hope and pray that our councillors will recognise their duties to the people who elected them and to future generations by rejecting the planning application.

“In the interests of so many local men, women and children who live in dread of the arrival of Covanta, the sooner they do it the better. “ The controversial proposal was recommended for refusal by Middlewich Town Council and Cheshire West and Chester Council in June.

But Cheshire East Council will not make the final decision until at least November while it investigates highways, ecology and air quality issues.

“We haven’t deliberately held this up for any reason whatsoever,” added the spokesman.

“With such a large and complex planning application, this is the usual timescale.

“We need to have all the information before we put this to members – we owe that to the residents.”

But CHAIN campaigners think that the large incinerator that was approved for Ince Marshes, just 12 miles from Middlewich, should have been ‘the final nail in the coffin’ for Covanta’s application.

Mr Cartwright said: “It really is difficult to understand why this prevarication is being tolerated.

“Covanta does not seem to be able to face the indisputable fact that Cheshire has an incinerator in the pipeline which will take care of at least six times the county’s needs, yet they still want to inflict their monster incinerator on us.

“Their arrogance knows no bounds and they ignore the feelings of local people who have lodged almost two thousand formal planning objections – the largest number on record.”

Malcolm Chilton, managing director of Covanta, said: “When additional information has been requested from Covanta, we have always endeavoured to supply this to Cheshire East in a timely manner.

“With regards to the proposed facility at Ince Mashes, this is intended to take waste largely from outside of Cheshire including Manchester and Liverpool, and there is no evidence that it will target Cheshire’s waste.

“Covanta’s proposed facility in Middlewich is extremely well located centrally in Cheshire to handle this waste.”