Sir - I was a little disappointed with the picture you used with your front page story about the future treatment of residual waste in Oxfordshire (February 15) It gave the impression that all energy from waste incinerators have the appearance of the very old one you chose as your image.
In fact, there are a wide variety of designs. All of these plants operate perfectly safely and satisfactorily, many in the centres of cities or in largely rural locations such as the Scilly Isles. There are currently around 20 incinerators in the UK, 128 in France, 65 in Germany, 30 in Denmark, 29 in Sweden and 28 in Switzerland. Many of them are far more modern than the picture you chose.
Any treatment facility will need to be permitted by the Environment Agency, who are responsible for regulating waste treatment plants. They have strict rules for such facilities and will not allow anything that is unsafe.
We have gone through a rigorous tendering process that has selected the best two sites for an incinerator and the companies offering the most viable, value for money options. That process now intensifies and will reach a conclusion in 2009. Planning permission would need to be granted for any incinerator. Environmental impact, including visual impact, would be a central component of that process.
Roger Belson, Cabinet member for sustainable development, Oxfordshire County Council
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