Incinerator campaigners call for council action

Sep 2 2011 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

TECHNICAL presentations by incinerator developers prompted Scottish Environment Protection Agency and council representatives to undertake a fact-finding trip this week.

The APP Swindon site also hosts an Advanced Plasma Power Gasplasma plant, which could form the core of the controversial facility proposed by Grundon for Shore Road in Perth.

But anti-Smoke campaigners Bridgend Gannochy and Kinnoull Community Council yesterday called for Perth and Kinross Council to see off the threat posed to Perth by belatedly thrashing out a negotiated settlement with Grundon.

A community council spokesman noted the developers had come back with another planning bid after losing an appeal to Holyrood – and said the council should have “owned up” to their original botch-up, revoked consent and paid Grundon’s costs.

The campaigner said: “This time, Grundon have taken on board the points on which they lost the appeal, for example the unsightly chimney height, and have adjusted their plans accordingly.

“But while this second submission addresses many of the shortcomings of the first, there are still some exceptionally serious issues associated with it.

“There is little doubt that Perth and Kinross Council is now not in a position to revoke the outline planning permission.

“The courts would see such action as vexatious and in any case it would prove too expensive for the council to recompense the costs that Grundon has incurred in good faith.

“Even if Perth and Kinross Council votes to reject this latest planning application from Grundon when it comes before the Development Control Committee we have little doubt that Grundon will again appeal against a refusal.

“Grundon may lose the appeal but if so there may be a further reserved matters planning application from them. They will no doubt grind away, as developers do, until they win the day.

“If they win the appeal, however, they then have their planning permission for the chemicals plant on Shore Road. End of story.

“People will ask if the council, as landlords, can refuse them permission to operate on the site.

“Undoubtedly, Grundon will have consulted their specialist lawyers on this question before submitting their second reserved matters planning application.

“They will argue that the council as landlords cannot reasonably withhold permission.

“The odds are, therefore, that unless the council dramatically changes its strategy Perth will end up with a much-unwanted waste-to-energy chemical plant.

“This whole ridiculous and very sorry tale reflects incredibly badly on the performance of council officials, from the chief executive down.

“The residents and businesses of Perth do not want a chemicals plant as the legacy of this administration, nor do they want to hear our officials and elected councillors telling us, ‘Sorry. We tried but failed.’

“There is no room for failure on this issue and no excuses are acceptable.

“There must surely be room for some form of negotiated settlement with Grundon, whereby this town centre nightmare is abandoned forever.”

Commenting on this week’s Swindon visit, a Grundon spokeswoman said the eight-strong council and SEPA group toured the plant and saw at first hand how the process takes two “well-established, well-proven technologies” and combines them into a Gasplasma system of the kind proposed for Perth.

“They heard how the provider of the fluidised bed gasifier – Energy Products of Idaho (EPI) – has 95 reference plants with over five million hours of practical operating experience on over 200 varieties of biomass fuels and waste products,” she said.

“The plasma converter is supplied by APP’s sister company Tetronics, also based at the Swindon site.

“Tetronics has been manufacturing and supplying high temperature plasma arc technology since 1964 to around 80 reference plants.”

Rolf Stein, chief executive officer of APP, said: “We were delighted to welcome the SEPA and council representatives to Swindon and show them around our facility.

“Grundon and APP remain confident that we can provide the most sustainable waste management solution for the people of the city of Perth.

“The Gasplasma energy from waste process would turn local waste into local renewable heat and power, as well as producing valuable building material.’’