A CAMPAIGN group opposed to the building of a renewable energy centre in South Marston has demanded an explanation from the company who put forward the proposals after they used a lawyer who threatened to “put the council through the mincer”.

The Stop Keypoint Incinerator Project group has contacted Rolton Kilbride, whose proposals were rejected at a planning meeting last month, to question the comments of their legal representative during the meeting.

Several of those present felt that Anthony Crean QC’s speech constituted a threat to the council.

SKIP chairman Robert Ayres said it was unusual for a barrister to be present at a planning meeting.

He said: “I’d really like to hear what they have to say about that. I emailed the managing director of Rolton Kilbride over a week ago asking for his comments, but so far I’ve had no reply.”

A spokesman for Rolton Kilbride said that they were preparing a response to the letter from SKIP.

The company’s proposals for a gasification plant were unanimously rejected by councillors at a heated planning meeting last month.

The meeting was held at the Steam Museum because of the exceptional public interest and hundreds of residents attended.

At the meeting Anthony, representing Rolton Kilbride’s interests, said: “The last thing I want to do is return with an appeal, and come back and put the council through a mincer, but I will do.

“I invite the committee to take an opinion which is plainly right, if not popular.”

The SKIP letter goes on to say: “You will perhaps not be surprised that many of those in attendance that evening were extremely offended by the manner in which Rolton Kilbride’s barrister set out the company’s position.”

Although the company highlighted the environmental benefits of the gasification process, those objecting to the plan say it amounts to no more than an incinerator.

Robert said: “The developers call this a gasification plant, but it will burn waste and produce ash.

“That’s incineration in plain English, and it is incineration as far as planning law is concerned.

“Incineration is not the way to deal with waste, the energy produced is not clean and it’s not renewable.

“Waste incinerators produce more greenhouse gases than conventional power stations.”

Alongside concerns from residents, objections were also raised by a headteacher, and a representative of Oxford University, whose Bodleian Library book storage facility is near to the proposed site.

If built, the Keypoint plant would be the largest waste disposal plant in Swindon, able to handle 150,000 tonnes of waste a year.

There has long been strong opposition to the proposed plant, since the request to the first proposals for a development on the site were submitted in early 2016.

But at the planning meeting, Andrew Needham, the managing director of Rolton Kilbride, was keen to emphasise the benefits of the site, saying that the plant would recover energy and heat from non-hazardous waste, and only after recycling.

He also saidit would see £100m invested in Swindon and boost the economy.