Manchester biomass incinerator highlights English democratic deficit!

The incinerator in question is not actually in Manchester; it in fact lies in Davyhulme in the borough of Trafford, the home of Manchester United FC.  But moving away from geographical anomalies, the serious issue here is that an elected council's planning committee had voted unanimously against permitting Peel Energy from building a biomass incinerator in Davyhulme, against a backdrop of strong local feelings.  Yet, the unelected Environment Agency took a different view, which subsequently led to a Government Inspector backing the plans.  A High Court Judgement on February 24 in support of building the plant has come as a crushing blow to many Trafford residents.

On the other side of the coin, many people will sympathise with the notion that the Country does face future challenges in keeping the lights switched on.  But quite clearly balancing any economic benefits the incinerator would bring to the area against environmental risks, needs to have an input from a more locally democratically accountable body, rather than some so-called Central Government expert or an unelected quango like the Environment Agency.

There is another way.  It is called Germany.  Or perhaps I should say Britain needs to embrace some aspects of the German Devolution Model, taking on board that England is in fact the only nation within the UK not to currently have any form of devolution (London aside).  German States or Lander can pass laws across many policy areas, with Defence and Foreign Policy as two notable exceptions which are handled solely by the Federal Government in Berlin.

I have previously stated my views on English Devoultion in my post on 1 November 2013 entitled "An English Devolution Perspective."  To summarise my perspective, a dramatic reduction in the number of English MPs at Westminster could pave the way for Regional Parliaments be set up in the English Regions.  Following the German model, Westminster could still legislate in policy areas covered by the regions.  However, this would only be when it is clearly in the national interest to do so.

A sensitive local issue such as a biomass incinerator needs the accountability of elected politicians.  Unfortunately, the High Court decision in backing the position of the Westminster Village is yet another example of the ENGLISH DEMOCRATIC DEFICIT!