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Nick

Yes this is great news that this blot on the Island’s landscape is going to generate local jobs now, nobody argues that that is not exactly what is needed, but what about when the thing is built?Are these local firms guaranteeing long-term jobs then? Possibly, if it means they survive to take on other work locally, but the very nature of a job in construction (just like banking)is that you need to be prepared to move to where the work is if it’s a long-term career you are seeking!If you don’t move completely you commute!With the Olympic Games development in North London desperate for artisans, local construction workers do not have to commute far if local work dries up!
There is behind this decision to proceed with this, much too much play being made of this “local jobs” for “local firms” to justify what is going to be a development for which this Island will pay dearly over the next few decades, environmentally and aesthetically!(I hope I am proved wrong here, but history does repeat itself I’m afraid).
I would just make the point that “Local jobs” would have still been the case if this had been a covered dock for refuse barges.
I noticed that in the debate in Guernsey about their having a similar incinerator, the option of taking the Island’s rubbish out by ship to another location was dismissed “out of hand” straight away without any discussion, except some sort of vague reference to it being “socially unacceptable” to export your rubbish to another country? What a “Ludicrous” argument that is! Yes it would be socially unacceptable if you export that rubbish to an uncontrolled open landfill in some third world country!But who is advocating that? Yet the same people who advance this sort of nonsense, in the same breath advocate re-cycling our rubbish (Even when there is no demand for it) and have no qualms about that refuse being shipped out without any control at all on where it is going? No surprise then that a lot of it is finding it’s way into unofficial landfill sites in third world countries because demand for it has fallen! A classic case of keeping up appearances.
There is a massive argument for making our approach to both refuse and sewage disposal a “Regional” one, involving our neighbours in both France and the other Islands.
One of the chief requirements for proper handling is “Space” if you want to do the job properly, and be able to handle increasing volume in the future.The second vital requirement is “Economical transport links” (Road , rail,and sea)and the only location in this region that has all these is mainland France!
And as for expense there is no more efficient way of transporting large tonnage items than by sea, and if boats leave the Island regularly there is no backlog of refuse to cause a problem.
I also note that there are even more French contractors involved here than was first mooted,Cameron’s now seem to be effectively a sub contractor?
I hope the local firms applying for these contracts are well served, we and our descendants are paying a high price for these crumbs!

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