Coming from an ardent supporter of wind turbines, John Tanner’s description of an energy-from-waste facility as a “monstrous blot” (Oxford Mail ViewPoints, July23 ) is pretty rich.

However, there is a need to inject some truth into this debate.

The alternatives that councillor Tanner cites all have the same characteristic.

They reduce the quantum of waste but they leave a substantial residue that then has to be dealt with – either by burying it in the ground or by burning it in an incinerator –in someone else’s county if not in this one.

Equally important, we are committing to a long-term contract that will cost millions to avoid the cost of continuing to bury our waste in the ground which will incur many more millions in landfill fines.

As for the Bicester eco-town, the presence of an energy-from-waste plant will provide a close source of low-cost energy for the residents; you can’t get more eco-friendly than that!

The proposed facility would generate 24 megawatts of electricity and this represents approximately 21 per cent of the total electricity consumption in the Cherwell area.

Finally, the county council cabinet was making a procurement decision last week.

The issue of planning permission for the Ardley site, either through a planning appeal or an application to the county council planning and regulation committee will be decided according to planning law and by an independent, Government-appointed inspector or by the committee members, none of whom are cabinet members.

KEITH R MITCHELL CBE, Leader of the Council, County Hall, Oxford