Dundee Labour leader Kevin Keenan wants an independent public inquiry involving the city council to determine the controversial biomass project.
He is unhappy that two key issues in Forth Energy’s £325 million proposal are to be decided by the Scottish Government in Edinburgh effectively taking all major responsibility away from Dundee.
Ministers are to decide both the power station and planning permission issues when they deliberate on Forth Energy’s contentious scheme under the Electricity Act.
Dundee councillors will be able to discuss planning issues when they meet to decide their response as a statutory consultee to the firm’s application for the renewable energy plant at the city’s harbour.
The planning as well as the power station questions will, however, be determined in a single process by ministers in Edinburgh.
The only other body to be involved in key decisions on the plant will be the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) who would have to give it a Pollution Prevention and Control licence.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Scottish ministers grant consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 within which planning permission is deemed to be granted.
“Sepa would deal with any licensing such as PPC (the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations). If this is required a developer would normally apply for it after they have section 36 consent.”
Dundee Civic Trust has already called for a public inquiry into the biomass plant, and thinks decisions on whether to build the largest and most controversial project in the city for many years should be taken by Dundee City Council.
Mr Keenan is of a similar view, and said: “This is a very big issue for Dundee and I haven’t yet seen any council reports or recommendations on what we as a council should do or say.
“But I am not happy with the way this is being done.
“First of all, Scottish ministers have decided that a biomass plant is not right for Leith which is part of Edinburgh so why is it suddenly acceptable for Dundee?
“I think there should be a role for Dundee City Council beyond that of statutory consultee which is what we have been given. I think an independent public inquiry into the biomass with a greater role for the council would be the way to go.”
The Scottish Government spokesman said the local planning authority, Sepa and Scottish Natural Heritage are required to be consulted by legislation.
A decision on the proposed biomass plant “will be made in due course after Dundee Council have responded at the end of June,” she added.
Eight non-statutory bodies have also submitted their feelings about the proposal which includes results of Forth Energy’s second tests into air quality in the Stannergate.
The applicant believes these results strengthen its case as they show only a negligible amount of nitrogen dioxide would be produced by the plant in relation to the volume from passing traffic.