PLAID Cymru councillors have criticised the latest consultation on the Barry Docks incinerator, stating that the process being followed has "no place in Welsh law".
A meeting of Barry Town Council, called by Barry Town Mayor Steffan Wiliam, to discuss the consultation, unanimously supported Plaid Cymru's motion to reject the process.
The consultation, described as a ‘Voluntary Retrospective Environmental Statement’ on the Barry Docks plant ended on January 17, and is in place of the full Environmental Impact Assessment which campaigners believe should take place.
As well as the motion from Barry Town Council, Plaid Cymru councillors in Barry hand-delivered their own submission to the consultation, highlighting issues with the process and a lack of reliable real-world data used.
Plaid Cymru councillor, Dennis Clarke, said: “The consultation period for this 1,200 page document ran over Christmas and New Year.
"I have written more than 150 pages of notes to outline the deficiencies of the Biomass statement. You could not expect members of the public to respond to a consultation of this size.
“We are asking for Welsh Government to follow their own laws and regulations. This Statement has no place in Welsh law. An Environmental Impact Assessment is the proper process.
“We also have concerns about the non-inclusion of important information within the consultation, and the methods of calculating the impact of tidal surge and climate change upon the plant, which is near the Docks of course, and the height of the stack which will be used to disperse any emissions from the plant.”
Plaid Cymru Cllr Millie Collins, who represents the Barry Docks area, also criticised the consultation.
Cllr Collins said that a strong signal should be sent to the Government that the statement lacked credibility and was “not worth the paper it’s written on.”
Cllr Clarke added: “I’m delighted that the motion was passed unanimously with all party support.
"Plaid Cymru councillors in the Vale have been consistent in opposing the incinerator and demanding a proper Environmental Impact Assessment.
“The incinerator should now be put out of use and the buildings repurposed for community use.”
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