TWENTY parish councils have lobbied minister Hazel Blears urging her to call in the planning application for an incinerator at Ardley.

They want the Secretary of State for Communities and local government to appoint an independent planning inspector to decide whether the £100m project gets the go ahead.

Jointly these parish councils represent more than 8,000 residents, across villages including Wendlebury, North Aston, Hethe, Croughton, Fritwell, Tackley and Launton.

In the letter, councillors say they are concerned over Oxfordshire County Council’s impartiality to decide the planning application and accuse it of being the judge and jury at its own trial.

Waste firm Viridor want to build an incinerator at its landfill site at Ardley Fields, Middleton Stoney Road, near Bicester, which could burn up to 300,000 tonnes of the county’s waste.

Parish councillors believe the controversial application conflicts with local and national planning policy and the proposal has far wider implications than just Ardley and surrounding area.

Chairman of Chesterton Parish Council Colin Board said: “They (OCC) are under pressure from the Government to cut its recycling bill and waste that’s actually put into landfill, and as such is rushing it through.”

He said there were traffic issues and concerns over the technology proposed for the site.

Bucknell Parish Council, which instigated the letter, along with Ardley council, say the county council have effectively let the market decide the waste policy — a mineral and waste development framework has yet to be agreed by the county and district councils.

A Bucknell spokesman said: “Careful attention was paid to the content of the letter, by research and reference, and it was intended not only to inform the local parishes, but also to send a message to OCC of their disregard of correct procedure and public consultation.”

Jon O’Neill, of Ardley Against Incinerator, which has concerns about pollution, health risks and an increase in traffic, said: “This is another fantastic show of strength against Oxfordshire County Council and their proposed plans for an industrial waste incinerator at Ardley Quarry.

“Surely, now they will take notice to the objections not only being made by Cherwell District Council, Ardley Against Incinerator, and now the 20 parish councils in this letter representing over 8,000 north Oxfordshire residents.”

Andrew Pau, of Oxfordshire County Council’s waste management team, said incinerators were widely and safely used in many European countries and 20 were currently in use in the UK.

He said: “Any treatment facility would need to be permitted by the Environment Agency, which is responsible for regulating waste treatment plants.

“The Environment Agency has strict rules for such facilities and would not allow anything that is unsafe.

“The Health Protection Agency has a responsibility to protect human health and would not allow anything that is unsafe.”