Explaining the outcomes of campaigns against waste incinerators in England: community, ecology, political opportunities and policy contexts

The siting of new waste incinerators has often stimulated vigorous opposition. U.S. research concludes that successful campaigns depend upon the discourse and tactics employed by campaigners and the skills and ingenuity of campaigners rather than the static characteristics of local communities. Evidence from recent anti-incinerator campaigns in England suggests otherwise. In England, community characteristics differentiate, but campaigners’ discourse matters less than political opportunities determined by the structure of local political systems, the urgency of local waste authorities’ concerns to find solutions to problems of waste disposal, the sequence of relevant planning decisions, and changes in the national policy context.