FOUR HUNDRED people who packed into the Radlett Centre last Thursday were urged to become “street champions” and help fight controversial proposals for an incinerator, which may be built on Green Belt land in the town.

Clive Glover, vice chairman of the Watling Incinerator Group (WING), told concerned residents, “we need help to defeat this proposal.”

The action group, which is opposed to Hertfordshire County Council’s (HCC) proposed incinerator, organised the meeting to drum up local support and inform residents about the proposal as some were unaware that E.On has tendered to build it at the Lafarge Aggregates site in Harper Lane.

HCC is still considering which of two locations – Hatfield or Radlett – the facility will be built on and will announce its successful bidder on April 28.

WING chair, Janie Jackson-Spillman, told the packed hall that the group had liaised with many interested organisations, including Herts Wildlife Trust and Arsenal Football Club whose training ground was nearby.

She said: “We have a number of concerns about the suitability of the site of the incinerator. It is inevitable that buildings, chimney stack, lorry access and parking will destroy any semblance of countryside openness.”

Mrs Jackson-Spillman said it was, “totally inappropriate Green Belt development” as the site was near water supplies intended for human consumption, a hospital, a school for autistic children, a residential care home and local families.

She added: “Harper Road itself is a small B road which is already overcrowded. The incinerator would generate around 125 20-tonne lorry movements in and out every day, seven days a week, plus traffic from workers’ cars.

“There are also a number of environmental and health concerns. There is a real possibility of atmospheric pollution from operation of the facility. Sources of air pollution are smells from waste arriving, emission from vehicles and of course the stack.”

Mrs Jackson-Spillman warned that the chimney stack itself could be 200ft high although no details have been released to the public on the proposed height of the chimney.

WING is receiving advice on planning and legal issues and has appointed Paul Stinchcombe, the barrister employed by action group STRiFE to fight the rail freight depot scheme proposals for Radlett Airfield.

The group is calling for donations to help fund the fight and urged residents to come forward as street champions to knock on doors and distribute information about the threat.

Hertsmere MP James Clappison said the proposal had very big implications for Radlett: “There are a lot of question marks about how this has all come about.

“This is a clear threat to Radlett in the future; there is a danger presented by this if the decision goes the wrong way.”