YOUR front-page headline 'It's back to square one' (Advertiser, April 23) certainly brought me down to earth with a bump.

Your report concluded that Popes Lane By-Products' withdrawal from the appeal was a 'shock blow' to ABAI's campaign.

On the contrary, we are all delighted to hear the news.

I think it is important to clarify the reason why PLBP withdrew its application.

It was only a few weeks into the campaign when our technical team discovered that PLBP had applied for the wrong licence for the operation they were proposing to carry out.

It has taken six months for the regulating authorities to agree and act on this information, which was supplied to them by ABAI in October 2002.

Now the authorities have accepted our argument, PLBP had very little option but to withdraw its appeal.

This is a resounding victory for ABAI.

Of course, PLBP can reapply. Maybe next time they will do their homework and put together a more competent application than the last one.

However, we in ABAI are not shocked or downhearted.

We are not going anywhere and will be ready and waiting for PLBP and we will win time after time because one cold fact remains.

No matter how many changes they make to their application, it is utter lunacy to site an incinerator next to a school.

Sooner or later they will lose interest/run out of money/ admit defeat and give up on these ludicrous plans.

KEITH ENSTON

The Bluebells

Church Road

Astwood Bank