After a nail biting delay, the Secretary of State has rightly refused the Ratty’s Lane planning application for the building of an enormous 350,000 tonne incinerator in Hoddesdon.

Three years ago, people and organisations from across our Borough, and the wider community, came together to make the case against an ill-judged planning application for a massive incinerator on our doorstep. Throughout this journey, the Hertfordshire Mercury, our local newspaper, has both supported and reported our efforts – marches, consultation responses and personal contributions to the public inquiry.

Trying to shoehorn this vast facility into the corner of historic Hoddesdon looked like a madcap idea from the start. If passed, it would have led to more than an extra 90,000 lorry movements a year on our already overcrowded and congested roads. Quite literally, Veolia and the County Council wanted to park their problem on our doorstep but thanks to motivated and determined campaigners the right decision has been reached.

Although I played my part in Parliament, through raising my concerns on many occasions from the Floor of the House of Commons, the deciding factor in this campaign was our community – a community that came together and found its voice. The past three years have been extremely challenging for us all, but we lasted the course and won the day.