Dundee City Council is being given extra time to consider its response to the controversial biomass proposal for the city’s harbour.
The public, the two statutory consultees the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Scottish Natural Heritage and other interested organisations have to respond to Forth Energy’s plans by May 16.
The council is the third statutory consultee and it asked for extra time to draw up its response so that its view could be decided by councillors as part of its scheduled cycle of meetings.
There wasn’t enough time to do this by May 16 so the council has been granted another month.
The Scottish Government confirmed that Dundee City Council would meet to consider its response on June 10, and that response would have to reach the Scottish Government by June 14.
All responses will then be considered and a decision will be made some time in the future, the government spokeswoman added.
NHS Tayside is not a statutory consultee but it is responding to the consultation exercise. A spokeswoman said its response will be submitted to the Scottish Government who will formally publish the findings.
In its response to Forth Energy’s plans two years ago, NHS Tayside listed 17 separate concerns on the potentially harmful effects on human health from the plant’s emissions. It called for more air quality monitoring as more than 19,000 people in the immediate area may be exposed a higher level of nitrogen dioxide in the atmosphere.
Forth Energy then conducted a year of tests on air quality in the area and concluded that the biomass plant would create a negligible increase in the amount of NO2.
The woodfuel-burning plant would meet the the equivalent of 80% of Dundee’s electricity needs and provide enough heat for six Ninewells Hospitals.
The £325 million project would employ up to 500 people during construction and 70 a year thereafter.
The Courier is hosting a special public debate on the proposal on May 1. Click here for ticket information.