Sunday, June 04, 2006

Rugby To Be London's Dump?

RUGBY TOWN : CO-INCINERATING SERVICE FOR LONDON'S MUNICIPAL AND COMMERCIAL WASTE

Regarding the Cemex proposal to burn CLIMAFUEL: household garbage, commercial waste, Profuel, RDF, Refuse-derived fuel at Rugby:

Cemex held a secret and private meeting under the auspices of Rugby Borough Council (including members of Warwickshire County Council?) for the "selected few", including the MP Jeremy Wright, and Director of Public Health Helen King, at Rugby Town Hall's Council Chamber on Friday 2nd June. Only a few days notice was given of this "urgent, secret, unscheduled meeting" to be held on a Friday night when most people were on half-term holiday, and they refused to give, even to Rugby people's own Councillors or reporters, any Agenda, or to have any Minutes. Both RBC and Cemex REFUSED to say what the meeting was about, or to provide a list of who had been invited. The Public and all journalists were barred and refused entry. Radio broadcasts that came on line on Thursday when the "news" broke, containing very limited detail about the waste burning intention, made it clear that this was a PRIVATE meeting and that the Public MUST STAY AWAY!

RBC failed to answer the criticisms contained in a lawyer's letter, sent on behalf of Rugby people, that requested that the secret meeting be cancelled and a proper PUBLIC MEETING be held at an appropriate time, with proper notice, with a proper agenda, and with proper minutes.

Why are these people so terrified of Public Opinion that they have to hold FURTIVE, SECRET meetings in the Council Chamber, at Public EXPENSE, from which the Public are barred and excluded? They are only prepared to face the Public at very carefully chosen venues where they can present very carefully and expensively PREPARED PRESENTATIONS, and can control and limit the number of members of the Public present.

If they REALLY want to learn the opinion of the Public in Rugby, the intention they claimed at the secret meeting being "to promote positive communication and dialogue" they should hold an OPEN PUBLIC meeting at a central venue, at a reasonable time, with reasonable notice, and be prepared to face questions and provide proper answers.

The current arrangements smack entirely of a DONE DEAL directed towards making RUGBY TOWN the CO-INCINERATING SERVICE for DISPOSAL of much of LONDON'S MUNICIPAL AND COMMERCIAL GARBAGE.

If these people are not prepared to undertake to do this the Public have this one and ONLY OPPORTUNITY, and should and MUST attend the meeting in PUBLIC of the Rugby Cement Community Forum, where they can SPEAK make their views known, and also hear the views of their MP Jeremy Wright, (member of the RCCF) and the views of everyone else who attends.

Meeting: WEDNESDAY JULY 19TH AT 5:30 RUGBY COUNCIL CHAMBER - TOWN HALL

Meanwhile Cemex will man a little-advertised "exhibition" at RUGBY LIBRARY where they can engage the Public in one to one PRIVATE conversations, in attempt to make out you are being listened to, and to pretend they have "engaged with the Public!"

Tuesday 6th June: 0900-1200
Wednesday 7th June: 1300-1600
Thursday 8th June: 1700-2000
Friday 9th June: 1400-1700
Saturday 10th June: 0930-1300

Rugby residents will then have until 31st August to send in written replies to the sham consultation.

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