David Ford MLA said: “I fundamentally support alternative sources of energy and that includes energy from waste facilities. This will reduce fuel costs and improve fuel security. I am also supportive of efforts to increase recycling levels. However, whatever we do to reduce, reuse and recycle, it is unlikely that we will completely eradicate waste and due to rising costs, we must move away from the use of landfills.
“I do have concerns over the proposed Mallusk site. I don’t think the local infrastructure is adequate. I have doubts over whether the small country roads will be able to handle the amount of large trucks that will be travelling to the site.
“New housing developments in the Mayfield and Hightown area would also be badly affected by this proposal.
“I believe that putting this type of facility in an industrial site, with nearby companies being able to benefit from the heat produced by the facility, will be far more suitable. Plans for Bombardier to build an energy from waste facility to benefit from cheap electricity have been approved, but it is not clear whether this plant would be able to accept domestic waste.
“There was another proposal for the North Foreshore site but Belfast Council voted against these plans a couple of years ago. I hope that plans for an energy from waste plant will go ahead but at a site in an industrial area either near Bombardier or the North Foreshore.
“That would be a much better environmental option than the current plans for Hightown.”
ENDS