Barrister Justine Thornton has been engaged by south London’s Stop the Incinerator campaign to provide legal advice and guidance to oppose Viridor’s plans to build a waste incinerator at Beddington Lane.
Justine Thornton: will be working with the Stop the Incinerator campaign
Thornton is married to Ed Miliband, the leader of the Labour party.
Thornton’s advice could lead to the campaign seeking a judicial review of the process that led to the incinerator decision being given planning permission by Sutton Council last month.
In parallel to this legal approach, the Stop the Incinerator campaign is still encouraging as many residents, business owners and others who will be affected – by the increased levels of road traffic, trucking in millions of tons of other people’s rubbish to be burnt; and by the smoke and fumes from an incinerator – to send a letter to the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, asking him to exercise his powers to halt the development.
Strong legal arguments and the prospect of a judicial review may also influence the Mayor’s decision-making.
While borough councils and local authorities are free to call-down funds to pay for top legal advice, all paid for by the Council Tax-payer – ie. you and me – public campaign groups such as Stop the Incinerator have to dig into their own pockets to pay for even the briefest of legal briefs.
Stop the Incinerator has already paid thousands of pounds towards the hiring of Thornton. A judicial review could cost up to £40,000, and so the fund-raising has started in earnest, with an event at the Green Dragon pub on Croydon High Street from 7.30pm on Friday, June 28.
- To find out more about the Stop the Incinerator campaign, to download a draft letter for Boris Johnson, to make a donation to the legal fund, or to do all three, click here
- Ashes to ashes: Only Boris can stop Viridor incinerator now
- Sutton Council looking to run energy company with Viridor
- Councillor acts as delivery boy for £1bn incinerator company
- Inside Croydon: For comment and analysis about Croydon, from inside Croydon
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Millibandwagon doesn’t know where Croydon is. He has not visited the riots affected area yet though he assured me he will visit when I last met him.
Well, Boris and Call-Me-Dave have visited the riot-affected areas. They are in power, able to get things done.
How much difference has that made, Patrick?
Boris and call-me-Dave at least visited the riots affected areas although Dave was not allowed to go on to London Road.
Calamity Clegg visited Reeves corner. Ed Milliband went to Lewisham instead.
A number of local Labour members are very disappointed that their so called Leader who was elected on 4th preference vote has not visited them.
Should leaders visit certain areas only if it makes a difference?
So visiting the riot victims, smiling sweetly for a photo-op, and then making promises to these unfortunate people which Call-Me-Dave and Boris have failed to deliver on is acceptable in your eyes.
Given your call for preferential treatment for Tamils over women, such blatant hypocrisy ought not be surprising.
Miliband came to Croydon for Malcolm Wicks’s funeral. Don’t know if he went up London Road, but I would imagine so… you should’ve buttonholed him.