WITH the stroke of a pen, the raising of a hand, a nod and a wink, our national, regional and local politicians and government officials have imposed an incinerator on the people of Barry and surrounding area.

The questions sane sensible people must be asking themselves of these paid representatives and public servants are:

Was this development permitted with a blind eye (I see no eyesore)?

Was this development permitted on the assumption there would be no impact (no environmental study)?

Was this development permitted due to pressure from other parties (national assembly/UK government)?

Was this development permitted for other reasons (we cannot name but speculate)?

It’s difficult in this Biomass 2 approval to find any common sense or even sane reason for this debacle.

After years of debate and opposition to this proposal, what loop hole allowed it to proceed with so little publicity?

This situation puts me in mind of the cartoon The Simpsons – a town full of people being led by incompetents duped by Mr Burns.

It would be laughable if it was not such a tragedy that all the regenerations, the upsurge in good publicity for tourism, health, wellbeing, their house prices and job prospects are all put into jeopardy by this borderline insane decision. Who would move next to an incinerator?!

If this incinerator is lit, waste wood and later refuse is burned near the centre of our town, those who approved, abstained and those who did not bring it to public attention should be named and held to account when there are problems with health, fire and economic deprivation.

It appears that none of the following are responsible: Barry Council, Vale of Glamorgan Council, Welsh Assembly, Natural Resources Wales, Cardiff and Vale Health, Fire Brigade, Future Generations Commissioner, Planning Inspectorate Ombudsman.

They all want to blame each other while our children and unborn will suffer further air pollution.

Fred Phipps-Harkus,

Dudley Place,

Barry