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Newspaper's Dump It! campaign forces rethink on contaminated waste plant

A Midlands weekly newspaper is celebrating a campaign victory after forcing its local council to rethink plans on a contaminated waste plant.

The Nuneaton Tribune has been urging a rethink on the permission given for the waste plant which would sit near to two major residential areas as well as schools.

Nearly 6,400 readers have signed a petition since launching its Dump It! campaign which called on Warwickshire County Council to take the decision back to committee.

The paper said it was repeatedly told it was not possible but now the council leader has backed down.

The chairman of the committee which gave permission has been asked to investigate whether there is sufficient evidence for the issue to be discussed again.

The campaign has generated so much interest among local people that the public gallery at a recent council meeting was completely packed out.

A second spill over room had to be allocated where people could watch proceedings via a video link.

Editor Simon Holden said: “Since we started this campaign we have been certain that there was a way for this to go back to committee.

“In particular, we felt that something of this magnitude should have been subject to full public consultation, not just the statutory minimum that was carried out.

“We kept being told it couldn’t happen but now we’ve been proved right.

“The Environment Agency has also agreed to carry out public consultation if and when the plant applies for a licence.

“These are two small victories for us and our readers but the war is far from over.”

Also making the Tribune’s front page was the news Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council had withdrawn its support for a BNP councillor, representing the authority on a youth club committee.

After running a story about the appointment of the BNP councillor by the Tory cabinet, the paper contacted David Cameron’s office.

Within several hours, the leader of the local council had announced that he had changed his mind.