‘Astonishing’ number of residents turn out for Hatfield incinerator protest

AROUND 1,000 people took to the streets of Hatfield at the weekend, in protest against Hertfordshire County Council’s plans to build an incinerator in the town.

Residents from across Hertfordshire took part in a march through the town on Saturday, in the largest public demonstration yet against the hated scheme by the council and Veolia Environmental Services.

Setting off from High View, off Bishop’s Rise, the protesters waved placards and chanted slogans as they made their way through the town towards White Lion Square.

There, the crowd was addressed by a cross-party group of politicians from the Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green parties.

That was followed by the release of 500 hundred black balloons into the air, to signify the pollution the incinerator at New Barnfield could bring not only to Hatfield, but to a much wider area.

Liberal Democrat and Hatfield Against Incineration member Paul Zukowskyj, who helped organise the protest, said the number of people who came out to show their support was “astonishing”.

“We had an awful lot of people there – an awful lot,” he said.

“I think there was around 1,000 people. It felt like we’d come together as a community to say no to the incinerator. People came out in astonishing force.”

Welwyn Hatfield MP Grant Shapps, who was among the politicians to speak at the protest, said the march held a greater significance than just showing how unpopular the incinerator plan is.

“What’s more important than some people may realise is that a planning application like the incinerator needs to be considered controversial before it can be called in for review,” he said.

“This has shown overwhelmingly that the incinerator is controversial.”