Council accused over Sita links

CORNWALL Council has been accused of harbouring a "culture of collusion" over the controversial strategy for a £117 million waste incinerator.

Documents released under the Freedom of Information Act show officials have advised waste contractor Sita UK on how to handle councillors, the media and on the timing of sensitive announcements.

The e-mail correspondence about the proposed energy-from-waste plant at St Dennis, Mid Cornwall, was unearthed by opponent Stephen Gilbert, who claimed it suggested a "culture of collusion".

"I expected to see no more than a dozen e-mail exchanges between the council and Sita around each of the milestones of the process," said the Lib-Dem prospective Parliamentary candidate for St Austell and Newquay.

"I was shocked and horrified to see more than 400 pages of material. It has to bring into question whether the council is an independent adjudicator of the planning process."

French-owned Sita UK was awarded a 30-year, £427 million waste management contract by the county council in 2006.

The company had planned a single incinerator, with a 390ft chimney, to burn 240,000 tonnes of waste a year, converting it into electricity and heat to power 21,000 homes.

Those proposals were rejected by the former Cornwall County Council in March last year, leaving the future strategy for managing Cornwall's waste in disarray. Sita announced its appeal last September.

But Mr Gilbert claimed the documents revealed that the "client/contractor" and "planning authority and applicant" relationship had become confused, with officers "overstepping the mark".

"It is all very well to open a relationship with a private company and contractor but behind the scenes, the council should have enough firewalls in place to prevent what seems to be a far too cosy relationship," he added.

"You might expect council officers to work with Sita but in my view, that should be limited to strategic issues, not the way information is presented to members."

One e-mail from an unnamed Sita official was sent to County Hall a week before the plans went before the planning committee on March 26.

"We feel we should send a letter to the members in advance of the planning meeting to ensure they are fully informed," it said. "The first draft is attached. This will also be the basis of my presentation on the day. Comments would be welcome."

An officer from County Hall responded by offering advice on the presentation and tips on what else to include.

"I agree with (name redacted) that the tone is good and that the first para (graph) should be modified as she suggests.

"Electricity and heat: I would also add some more on the heat use by Goonvean and Imerys reducing significantly the use of gas, a fossil fuel, and helping to secure the future of those driers and associated jobs.

"Nature conservation: Make the point that the enhanced clean up and higher stack will make this the cleanest plant the country, as befits Cornwall.

"Health impacts: Should include a quote from the Food Standards Agency. Employment: Could also include the employment of Cormac – 40 on the road construction for a year."

Two days before the planning decision, someone else at Cornwall Council said the private briefing of councillors "went well" adding that the "heat use" by the driers "could make several members vote in favour if it is presented in the right way".

Despite the advice, councillors rejected Sita's planning application – to the joy of campaigners from St Dennis.

Behind the scenes, discussions between council officials and Sita then turned to the likelihood – and timing – of an appeal.

One note from the council on April 28 cynically suggested that the appeal could have been made during the county election "purdah period" – a political move designed to frustrate debate as councillors would have been unable to comment.

Another telling exchange came in August 2009 – two weeks before Sita made public its intention to appeal.

A letter from a council official laid out concerns about the company's ability to manage media inquiries, while Sita was asking for a delay.

The response from Sita warned: "As we learnt from the previous planning process, management of media interaction, development of a positive argument and above all access to members is critical."

Officials in the council's legal department were also not afraid of having a flippant swipe at local campaigners, after Sita was rebuked by the Advertising Standards Agency over one of its leaflets.

"I trust they will be looking at some of Stig's (St Dennis Anti Incinerator Group) literature too," said the council e-mail.

Mr Gilbert said he had been "consistently opposed" to the incinerator even though it put him at odds with his own party, when the Lib-Dems controlled the county council.

"My view is that it is the wrong technology," he said. "Do we really want to send 250,000 tonnes of waste to be burnt, year-on-year for 30 years? I am 33 now, and I will be 63 when we stop paying for this PFI contract.

"I'd like the council to look at anaerobic digestion and gassification, in particular, to have four or five smaller sites, near to the major centres of population in Cornwall."

Campaigners are currently working to prepare for the planning inquiry, which is due to start on March 16 and last for more than 20 days.

Pat Blanchard, chairman of the St Dennis Anti Incinerator Group, said she was "hugely disappointed" by the content of the e-mails.

"Clearly, we have got one group of officers and councillors who believe this is a bad application and should be refused," she said.

"Then we have got another group of people who seem to be more interested in saving face and their reputation and looking after Sita's interests. They need to be reminded that they serve the people of Cornwall, not Sita."

Matthew Taylor, MP for Truro and St Austell, said the e-mails were "clearly unacceptable".

"They clearly overstep the mark," the Lib-Dem MP added. "It can't be right that officers are telling Sita how to influence councillors' opinions."

A spokesman for Cornwall Council said its relationship with Sita was "professional and robust" and that the council had "endeavoured to be as open as possible" over the incinerator. "Cornwall Council has a long-term contract worth over £400 million with Sita for the provision of waste management services throughout Cornwall.

"The relationship between the council and Sita is professional and robust and it is entirely understandable that there has been, and will continue to be, extensive contact between the two organisations on all levels.

"The contract has already delivered significant improvements to the network of household waste recycling centres, transfer stations and the two materials recycling facilities with more recycling centres and transfer stations on the way.

"Cornwall Council has endeavoured to be as open as possible with the public when dealing with the emotive issue of the Cornwall Energy Recovery Centre given that some items, as in all business matters, have to be treated as confidential."

A spokesman for Sita said: "Sita Cornwall is a major supplier to Cornwall Council, with a 30-year contract to supply vital services on behalf of every household in the county.

"It is only right and proper that we should communicate with the council to ensure we offer the quality services they expect.

"It is also important that we agree how our activities should be communicated, so that the public is given accurate and consistent information.

"Regarding the delivery of new waste infrastructure, including the CERC, it is crucial that we talk to the council regularly, as this represents a series of extremely important decisions, which must be made following an open dialogue."