County council must accept incinerator contract decision, says Hilton

The Liberal Democrats are calling on Gloucestershire County Council to accept the decision of the Information Commissioner to disclose details of the contract to build the Javelin Park incinerator.

Earlier this month the Information Commissioner's Office issued a decision notice on a Freedom of Information Act request to disclose further information on the contract between Gloucestershire County Council and Urbaser Balfour Beatty, the firm building the project.

Councillor Jeremy Hilton, the Liberal Democrat spokesman at Shire Hall on waste disposal, said: "The Liberal Democrats fought a long hard campaign at Shire Hall to stop the building of the massive waste incinerator at Javelin Park.

"Unfortunately, the Tories who control the council continued to pursue the incinerator project. The plant is now under construction and is expected to be operational in 2019.

"The secrecy around the contract with UBB is a matter of deep concern.

"That is why I am pleased to support the Information Commissioner's decision that more details within the contract must be made public.

"It is right that the county council should release information such as on the contract tonnage, the base price per tonne of waste supplied to the incinerator and information related to the sale of electricity.

"I would hope that county council accepts the Information Commissioner's decision. The administration must not appeal against the decision."