The developer behind plans to create a biomass plant on a contentious rural site in Kinross-shire will invite the community to view proposals next week.
Newly-formed Lambhill Energy (LHE) wants to create a renewable energy combined heat and power plant and associated wood-chip and shavings production venue on the former Oran Recycling site at Lambhill Farm, Blairingone.
While proposals are still in the early stages, the applicant has been involved in consultations with residents for some time and has hopes of submitting a planning application to Perth and Kinross Council in the coming months.
The latest stage of the groundwork will be a presentation and question and answer session, scheduled to be held in Blairingone Primary School on Tuesday at 7pm.
The Lambhill Farm site has been at the centre of controversy for years, with previous plans by Oran Recycling to create a composting facility on the site garnering much opposition.
It was also at the centre of the “sludge wars” of a decade ago, when the community went to the Scottish Government to force a change in the laws governing the spreading of sewage sludge and industrial waste on fields.
Through the direction of the Blairingone and Saline Action Group-concerned at the spreading of sewage on fields at the farm it succeeded in changing the laws for the use of waste on agricultural land.
Opponents of the latest plans for Lambhill Farm said the community may once again need to come together to defeat them.CleanMeanwhile, the applicants have pledged a clean development, stressing the plant will not be a waste incineration facility and that it and differs significantly from those proposed for Dundee’s harbour area and the Binn Farm site near Glenfarg.
The development comprises a renewable energy combined heat and power plant generating electricity and heat using virgin, small round wood chips and a facility to produce wood shavings for the animal bedding market.
It would not have the capacity to process waste and the necessary consent to incinerate waste is not being sought.
All the heat produced, plus some of the electricity, would be used by the shavings plant, with excess power sold into the distribution network via the existing sub-station at the site.
Lambhill said site operations will be continuous, but measures would be taken to minimise the impact on the community, with traffic movements scheduled to avoid the hours between 8pm and 7am.
The applicants have also made efforts to minimise the visual impact, with existing buildings put to new use and the roof-lines of new-build structures kept below that of the landscape ridge-line to conceal the plant from Blairingone.
It is understood the operation would create 12 -18 jobs in a mix of management, skilled and unskilled posts.
Despite the assurances given by LHE, a number of residents have raised concerns, including the visual impact of the plant, the nature of materials to be burnt and possible chemical and dust emissions and the impact upon the health of the community, together with lorry movements, the potential for an increase in local traffic and noise and light pollution.