Robin Newton MBE MLA

ROBIN Newton East Belfast DUP Councillor speaking in Lisburn prior to Monday’s crucial Belfast City Council meeting has said, there will be dire consequences for ratepayers if Belfast City Council fails to approve the citing of the Energy from Waste facility at the North Foreshore. Councillors would not be forgiven if they chose to ignore public opinion and the interests of ratepayers.

Robin Newton said,

“There is another opportunity for Belfast Councillors at the reconvened special council meeting on Monday night, after the last vote two weeks ago was considered null and void as a result of a voting irregularity, to do what the vast majority of ratepayers are demanding from them.

I was extremely disappointed when the council decided not to support the Energy for Waste plant and I am relieved that we have this second opportunity to make the right decision.

The fact is that we are in the most difficult financial times for a generation and the council, as with all public sector organisations, will have to operate within stringent budgets.

Failure to approve the plant will have crippling financial implications for the council and it will be the ratepayers of the city who will have to carry that burden. To impose such a situation at a time when people everywhere are facing financial hardships will be unforgivable.

We will face the wrath of the public when the implications of not taking the right decisions lands on people’s doormats in the form of dramatically increased rates bills for years to come.

I also believe that the reputation of Belfast City Council has already been damaged by this process. If we continue flying in the face of 90 per cent of public opinion then we are on the road to nowhere.

How can we ever expect the people of this city to respond to our surveys or put forward their opinion on any matter if we choose to ignore what they are telling us at this time?

I urge everyone on Belfast City Council, regardless of political party or what area of the city they are from, to do the right thing for all our citizens and vote for this plant to go ahead.”