A senior councillor has called on colleagues to make the right decision for the future of Perth and reject plans for an incinerator.
Today is D-Day for the town and its residents with a verdict to be delivered upon Grundon Waste Management’s second bid to secure approval for its controversial waste-to-energy plant.
Hundreds will pack into the Dewars Centre to hear the deliberations of Perth and Kinross Council’s development control committee as the applicant moves its plan the town’s Shore Road.
They do so in the face of a report that raises fears the plant could cause significant harm to the environment, to people of Perth and the town itself.
Grundon’s first application was described as a ”£100m smoke-belching monstrosity” and was rejected by Perth and Kinross Council in November 2009.
Despite appeals to walk away, the developer submitted revised plans in May, reducing the height of chimneys and swapping waste-to-energy incineration for gasplasma technology.
Council planners have, however, recommended in the strongest terms that the development control committee again reject the plan.
Councillor Alexander Stewart, leader of the council’s Conservative group, spoke out before the meeting.
He said: ”As I am not a member of the committee I will not have the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process regarding this application.
”I have however been inundated with correspondence from my constituents regarding this proposal, which has caused concern and alarm in the community.”
He added: ”There is no doubt that there are very strong views and opinions being expressed regarding the suitability of such an industrial plant being sited in the Shore Road, adjacent to the Tay river and within close proximity of the city centre and many residential and commercial properties.”
Council planners have recommended refusal of the incinerator plan on a number of grounds, not least that it could pose a health risk, have a damaging impact upon air quality and plague adjacent communities with odours, dust and noise.
Their report has also found that the proposed scale, design and appearance of plant and stacks would have a serious detrimental impact on Perth’s visual amenity, would conflict with its historic skyline and would damage the central conservation area.
Those findings have been presented to councillors in a 136-page document that sets out the case for refusal.
Highlighting an issue that he believes has been overlooked, resident John Robertson said the town’s climatic conditions such as downdrafts from Kinnoull Hill would keep fumes hanging over the town.
Mr Stewart said: I believe these are sound an scientific reasons for the refusal and along with the weight of public opinion from the community and representatives of the community councils along with SEPA it would be in everyone’s best interest for this application to fail.
”If this goes forward, I believe, it would be a mistake and would tarnish the city and be a blot on the landscape.”
The crunch meeting begins at the Dewars Centre in Perth at 10am.