People power has won over Powerday
ON January 20, Powerday, the company which has, for the last five years, tried to build a 950,000 tonne industrial recycling plant on the Coal Yard site, Yiewsley/West Drayton announced that it would not be submitting another planning application for a waste plant on this site.
This is wonderful news for all of us, for all of you, who have fought for so long to stop such a large industrial recycling plant being built a mere few metres from people’s homes, businesses, schools and places of worship.
Well done to the many thousands of you who signed petitions, wrote letters, sent emails in support of the campaign started by the Garden City Estate Residents Association almost five years ago.
It has been people power’ which has won this fight.
People power which has shown that the people of Yiewsley and West Drayton do indeed care about their environment and are willing to step forward when it is under attack.
Thank you also to the Gazette newspaper which, very early on, joined the fight on the side of the people of Yiewsley and West Drayton.
It was a fight to stop the thousands of heavy lorries which would have trundled ceaselessly along our local roads and on to an industrial recycling plant with its 24/7 operations.
Powerday lorries will still be seen on local roads until December 2017 as the company still has a lease on the land and has been awarded a contract by Hillingdon Council to continue the ‘Waste Weekends.’
Powerday will also be consulting with local groups, the local council and others as to what they wish to do with the site over the next three years.
However, a waste recycling site it will not be. So again, well done to one and all.
People power has indeed succeeded in Yiewsley and West Drayton.
Families are finding it increasingly tough to bridge this gap, turning to extreme methods such as going hungry, racking up debt or risking their heath by living in cold homes. This is sadly not surprising.
At Turn2us we found that a huge 78% of families struggled with their energy bills in the last year while three out of four families said cold homes were harming the health of their children.
One in six families are even considering payday loans which will only exacerbate these problems.
As wages continue to fall, the rising cost of living shows no signs of slowing.
As families find themselves in desperate situations and go without the basic essentials they risk becoming cut off from the rest of society.
We launched our Cut out the Cold campaign this month to reach families that need help so they can access financial support.
However, we need to see a concerted effort by all organisations that can provide practical help in tackling fuel poverty.
It is vital that those who need help now are not trapped in an endless cycle of hardship.
@alimiller_1: