The officer behind the incinerator

Apr 14 2009 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

THE PA can reveal an experienced planning officer approved outline plans for the Shore Road waste to energy facility under delegated powers on March 8, 2006.

He admitted no plant details had come forward at that stage.

And that prompted the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to withhold their backing.

But outline consent was given under delegated powers for a “proposed relocation of an existing waste recycling centre and formation of a waste to energy facility” for Holden Environmental.

The application proposed to “provide thermal generation using calorific wastes which are not suitable for recycling as a substitute for non-renewable energy resources.

“This would further reduce the level of waste currently going to landfill.

“The process would produce sustainable power and heat with the former being directed to the national grid and the latter being piped to Perth Prison.”

The council planning officer noted: “There are no details of the plant which would be required to convert the waste to energy but this would be based on cutting edge technology.

“The site is suitable given its current use for recycling and storage, and its relationship to both the harbour industrial area and the prison.”

While the Scottish Environment Protection Agency was not willing to support the project given the lack of information, the council’s Environment Services considered it was acceptable in principle provided full details of the project were provided at the reserved matters stage to ensure noise, dust and other forms of emission would be properly assessed and controlled.

Councillors are now questioning how the city’s roads network could cope with deliveries of up to 90,000 tons of waste to the proposed facility, but three years ago the planning officer said: “My roads colleagues are satisfied in terms of road safety, subject to a detailed scheme having access, parking and turning facilities to an acceptable standard.”

The site, which includes the Holden scrapyard/recycling centre and an adjacent former gas depot lies within a site designated for industrial uses.

The 2003 structure plan noted: “Within the area both business and industrial uses will be considered acceptable provided the use is not detrimental to the amenity of the surrounding area.”

Reserved matters which had to be approved further down the line included layout, design and external appearance, means of access, parking and vehicular circulation arrangements.

ICONIC SKYLINE: The giant power plant would dominate Perth’s beautiful riverfront.