Sir — I refer to your article (August 29) regarding the proposed waste plant between Kidlington and North Oxford.

The suggestion of this site for a waste separation plant is extraordinary.

Your article suggests the plant will only be for Oxfordshire's waste, except when other areas cannot cope. Grundon will naturally want to expand. Positioned on the Bicester to Oxford railway line with a natural railhead must make it an attractive site to Grundon, but not for Oxfordshire’s waste. The estimate of 180 lorries a day (day and night) is bad enough, I predict it will be more. Such a facility between two large residential conurbations will take some justification. The objections will quite understandably be considerable and the weight of local opinion against it enormous.

I understand the council are considering an incineration plant and the favourite locations are Ardley and Sutton Courtenay. I know little about Sutton Courtenay, but the Ardley site is presumably the large landfill site between the B430, the M40 motorway and the main Birmingham to London railway line. I would have thought there is synergy between landfill, incineration and waste separation.

The Ardley site would give access to the motorway and to a new railhead. No doubt the report from the planning officers will explain why such an option is not feasible?

Planning conditions as to routing lorries, controlling noise, dust and odour requires policing at significant cost to the taxpayer. Why not avoid that burden and site it away from large residential areas and avoid an increase in traffic on the already congested A34?

Has Grundon already acquired the site? If so, did any informal discussions take place with the local authority beforehand? Instead of the grain silo, why not a railway station?

Mark Lowen, Kidlington