Campaigners against incineration welcome new Green Party chair of North London Waste Authority

The newly-elected board of NLWA now faces a big decision over the future of Edmonton incinerator, reports Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter

North London Waste Authority chair Jacob Cable (centre) alongside vice-chairs Madeline Church (left) and Peter Zinkin (right)

Campaigners against a new incinerator in North London have hailed the appointment of a new Green Party-led oversight committee as a “victory”.

Hackney councillor Jacob Cable, who represents Stoke Newington for the Greens, was appointed to chair North London Waste Authority (NLWA) at its annual board meeting last week.

Enfield Green councillor Madeline Church and Barnet Conservative councillor Peter Zinkin assumed the two roles of vice-chair.

NLWA manages waste and recycling services for an estimated two million residents across the seven boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest.

Before the May local elections altered North London’s political landscape – with Haringey, Waltham Forest and Hackney all now led by Green Party administrations – NLWA had been controlled by Labour for many years, under the leadership of Waltham Forest councillor Clyde Loakes.

There are 14 members of the NLWA board in total, with two nominated by each borough council. The new political make-up is now seven Green councillors, five Labour and two Conservative.

The new incinerator under construction, as the old one continues to burn the borough's waste — The new incinerator under construction in Edmonton, as the old one continues to burn the borough’s waste

The authority is currently overseeing the construction of a new incinerator at Edmonton Eco Park, which has been increasingly plagued by delays.

Due to these construction delays and other woes, the incinerator will likely not be finished until after 2030 – three years later than when it was supposed to come into use.

In response to news of the Greens now controlling NLWA, a spokesperson for the Stop the Edmonton Incinerator campaign group called the appointments a “major victory for all of us who have campaigned tirelessly to stop the new Edmonton incinerator for close to a decade”.

“The new Green-led board of the NLWA has already shown it intends to scrutinise the rebuild and its spiralling costs,” they continued.

“This gives us confidence that this marks the beginning of the end of the plans for the new outsized, toxic incinerator for a greener, fairer, less polluting way to manage North London’s waste.”

The NLWA has previously argued that the Edmonton Eco Park incinerator is the “best long-term environmental solution for the waste generated by millions of people”.

But former NLWA chief Clyde Loakes warned: “Not everything can be recycled, and councils will still need a solution to deal with waste.”

Cllr Cable said he would lead the NLWA “in an open and participatory way and ensure that we work to reduce waste in all its forms”.

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