STROUD Town Council is urging residents to turn out in protest for the first day of a planning inquiry into the proposed Javelin Park incinerator.

A government inspector will begin hearing Urbaser Balfour Beatty’s appeal on November 19 at the Hallmark Hotel in Matson, from 9.30am.

And the town council believes it is vital residents demonstrate the strength of feeling against the waste-burning facility.

Stroud town mayor Amanda Moriarty, who plans to attend the opening day of the inquiry along with fellow councillors, said: “People can no longer officially object to the proposal but we need to turn out in force to show the government inspector the scale of our opposition.”

“We, as a town council, are concerned about conserving resources, energy efficiency and recycling and the incinerator scheme goes against all that.”

Multinational waste firm Ubaser Balfour Beatty is appealing after Gloucestershire County Council’s planning committee unanimously rejected the scheme for Javelin Park near Haresfield earlier this year.

The town council filed an official objection to the original planning application and Cllr Moriarty will speak at the inquiry to reaffirm the authority’s opposition.

Town councillors have already awarded £2,000 to anti-incinerator group GlosVAIN to help it pay for a planning expert to represent it at the inquiry.

The town council’s objection is based on several factors including the possible effect on people’s health as a result of the emissions and the incinerator’s visual impact on the landscape.

“This application attracted 4,494 comments and an overwhelming amount of them were negative. There has been great emphasis by this government on localism, and this proposal has generated huge public interest and objections which cannot be ignored,” said Amanda.