Railing against Croydon’s incinerator plans

Last night protesters handcuffed themselves to Croydon’s Town Hall public gallery railings. This was to protest against the public and press being barred from from discussion on the proposed Beddington Lane incinerator.

Handcuffed to the railings

Shasha Khan and Dave Pettener took the dramatic step at the overview and scrutiny committee as part of a long running local campaign concerned at the lack of consultation over plans for a new incinerator, denying members of the public the opportunity to have health, pollution and traffic concerns addressed.

Labour councillor Sean Fitzsimons asked that some of the discussion take place in public saying “I understand there are issues which can’t be in public because of legal constraints but a number of councillors were able to speak of the subject at last night’s council meeting and as far as I am aware some of the things people were saying were not in breach of confidential information.

“This decision will have a major impact on the town over the years and involves a significant amount of money. I would ask that we have the chance to have a public discussion about it.”

In November Shasha Khan, a member of the local Green Party, wrote that “What we have witnessed over the last three years is a process where the concerns, fears and demands of the people in Croydon, Sutton, Merton and Kingston have not been heard – AT ANY STAGE OF THIS CONSULTATION. Big business has been calling the tune with elected politicians dancing by their side attempting to give the semblance of democracy, and it is the people who live in poorer communities who will suffer.”

Last night dave Pettener told Croydon Today that “This is a ridiculous thing to do, I know that. I don’t want to be wasting people’s time but I feel like I have absolutely no other recourse. I have had councillors laugh in my face about the health concerns associated with this incinerator but most of them don’t even live in the area. I do, so this is my life they’re talking about.”

Councillors chose to ignore residents concerns and held the meeting in camera elsewhere in the building.

Video footage from demonstration earlier in the year;