GCC keeps trotting out the same story like a stuck record.

There is an extraordinary – and wholly unnecessary – stubbornness involved in insisting upon incineration.

It’s more of an alternative problem than a solution – an outdated technology that other countries are actively moving away from because of its dangers and its expense, quite apart from the deeply flawed operating principle of burning valuable resources.

The people of Gloucestershire know incineration is not the healthy option, either economically or ecologically.

In the communities where a local poll has been carried out, the overwhelming majority do not support an incinerator.

There is no social licence for the project and ongoing community action will likely result in costly delays and a hugely damaged public image for the council.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

The recent 'R4C' community benefit recycling plant project (SNJ July 15) shows it is possible to deal with our waste far more intelligently, far more cheaply, and in line with the direction in which both European and UK legislation are heading.

By 2020, it may well be illegal to burn materials that can be recycled.

Does the council seriously want to risk scarring the landscape with a concrete monstrosity that will likely become unusable in less than a decade?

The R4C is an opportunity for Gloucestershire to be seen as a technological and environmental leader – both nationally and internationally – with a flagship project that residents can be proud of.

And it’s going ahead with what seems to be huge popular (and expert professional) support.

There’s a real window of opportunity here – save money, save the planet, save your reputation.

It’s win, win, win.

There’s an excellent case for GCC joining the party rather than sulking (expensively) in the corner.

Jojo Mehta 38 Degrees Stroud/Toxin Free Network Incinerator needs us to be wasteful THIS is an open letter in response to your article about the incinerator (Incinerator is ‘good for area’ says council’) .

I am a private individual, born and bred in Stroud.

The article says the incinerator will generate electricity for 26,000 homes – but 16,000 of those will be powered by burning plastic which is certainly not a renewable fuel.

The energy available in the black bin bags could power more thanover 100,000 homes but almost 80 per cent is wasted.

Far from saving us £150million, the plant locks us into the highest cost ever (driven by £80 per tonne landfill tax) for disposing (destroying) waste – in fact a good solution would reduce costs by £250million or more compared to the incinerator and treat waste as a resource.

The jobs and renewable energy created are far more expensive than even nuclear.

Far more jobs are created by spending money wisely.

By using the incinerator, we create a straight-line economy which will demand a wasteful society to feed it.

Lizzie Fletcher

Stroud