Controversial plans for an incinerator in Westbury will be opposed by Trowbridge Town Council.

At the full council meeting (September 15) councillors overwhelmingly voted to reject the proposed development by Northacre Renewable Energy Ltd.

The motion was brought forward by Cllr Thomas Bazan and seconded by Cllr Antonio Piazza.

Resident, Marie Hillcoat said that she asked Cllr Bazan to bring the motion to the town council and in the public forum urged councillors to 'complete the jigsaw' of town and parish councils raising objections to the incinerator.

"I hope we support this because other towns have and like was said earlier it will be the missing piece of the jigsaw," said Cllr Bazan.

Cllr David Cavill abstained from the vote saying that while he does not agree with the plant being in Westbury but added 'it has to go somewhere'.

"To say that we should be against it because of the climate emergency, these sorts of waste-to-energy plants are part of reducing the amount of Co2 and the carbon footprint," he said. "You can't have it both ways and they have to go somewhere."

Town Mayor, Cllr Peter Fuller spoke of his time living in Westbury and the affects of the ash from the cement works.

"I think Westbury residents were very pleased when the chimney went down," he said. "Therefore people living in Westbury are very concerned about any suggestion that something might happen in their air again."

Councillors voted 14 in favour of opposing the incinerator plans with two abstentions.

The town council now joins the growing list of those opposing the plans including MP Andrew Murrison, Westbury Town Council, North Bradley Parish and Bradford on Avon Town Council.