In response to your story Waste incinerator plans face new hurdle (Oxford Mail, February 24) I feel moved to voice my frustration at the way the bodies that should be defending the rights of the community are behaving.

Leaving the rights and wrongs of waste incineration in my backyard aside for a moment, I am astonished at the apparent lack of urgency and determination shown by the Environment Agency in all this.

It alone has the real power to approve or reject any proposed scheme based upon the best scientific evidence available.

It is also the custodian of our little bit of the planet. It is there to protect communities from the effects of ill-thought-out decisions.

Unlike the our valiant council representatives, who seem duty bound to meet targets, surely the agency is supposed to be free of those pressures?

These are the people who are there to conserve what is precious and defend communities and ecosystems from rubbish solutions (excuse the pun).

These white knights should be able to wield bigger sticks when it comes to matters that have the potential to destroy our peaceful existence in our communities, let alone leave our children prone to potentially harmful side effects All I would ask these officers is to please be more forceful and impose your authority. Take a swipe at the seemingly arrogant way Viridor is conducting itself.

If they do not respond immediately with the clear and correct information we are looking for, then send them packing.

This issue is too important to be left to local councils.

I am not a nimby. Every day I feel the pressures of the scale of the environmental issues we face. But I need the agency to get its act together and represent me, and people like me, in standing up to bad solutions to problems we all acknowledge are clear and ever present.

If Viridor is made to act now and satisfy stringent guidelines, then at least we can take some comfort.

Chris Parkes, The Nursery, Sutton Courtenay