Pooling resources (From The Oxford Times)

Pooling resources

8:30am Thursday 10th May 2012 in Letters

Sir – I noted that Bucks County Council have now approved plans for their incinerator to be built at Calvert. A look at the map shows that Calvert is a small village nowhere near any major roads. That begs the question of what effect the extra traffic will have on the minor roads around Calvert and the major roads around Bicester which is already clogged up because of Bicester Village.

If one accepts that incinerators are a necessary evil and, reluctantly, I fear they are the only alternative to landfill, why could Oxon and Bucks County Councils not get together and decide to operate a joint one either at Ardley or Calvert (or even somewhere else).

I note that Bucks propose to put their incinerator as far from their own residents as possible but seem more than happy to inflict it on the residents of Oxon. If incinerators are needed, then a joint one seems to be an eminently sensible solution rather than have two in close proximity to each other.

It is patently obvious that a jointly-operated unit would save money for both county councils, both in building and operating costs. But is such thinking beyond the wit of the two county councils? If district councils such as the Vale and South Oxon can pool resources and save money for taxpayers why can’t county councils?

I would be interested to know if there had been any liaison between the two councils.

Brian Baggott, Kennington