The incinerator will cast a shadow over gravestones at the cemetery in Travellers Lane, judging by this picture

THE Hatfield incinerator will tower over a special needs school, green belt land and even a cemetery, if these pictures are anything to go by.

Incinerator blimp over Southfield School

On Friday, Veolia Environmental Services launched a gas filled balloon above the New Barnfield site in Travellers Lane, where it plans to build a 380,000-tonne incinerator.

The blimp, which flew at 75m to denote the height of the proposed facility’s flues, was launched following a request by English Heritage, which wanted to see if the incinerator could be seen from Hatfield House.

And the answer, according to one of these pictures, is a resounding yes.

We sent WHT photographer Kevin Lines around Times Territory to snap the blimp from as many different places as possible.

The blimp as seen from the farm in the grounds of Hatfield House

We also asked you to send in your pictures of the blimp.

And the pictures give a good impression of how much the incinerator could change the landscape of Welwyn Hatfield and beyond.

Cathy Roe, from anti-incinerator group Hatfield Against Incineration, was among those snapping the blimp.

“It was seen and photographed from many parts of Hatfield, Welham Green, and Colney Heath, and as far away as at the historic listed Folly Arch in Little Heath,” Cathy said.

“This was despite the trees now being in full leaf. Also, the balloon was often at an angle because of the wind, so did not truly show the full height.

“Many residents realised for the first time what could be the size and visibility of the proposed dome and flues, although a balloon on a string does not show the volume of the proposed building, nor the plumes coming out of the flues.”

Click on our gallery to the right to see more photos of the blimp.