Permanent planning consent given to controversial Methven-based wood pellet firm

Oct 21 2011 by Alison Anderson, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

A METHVEN farmer’s diversification business which dries sawdust and manufactures wood pellets has been given permanent planning consent despite claims by local people that the plant at South Cassochie Farm on the outskirts of the village has adverse impact on air quality through dust emissions, road safety issues and noise pollution.

Councillors on Perth and Kinross Council’s development control committee decided last month to defer the application from Halley’s Feeds so they could be given further information from council officials.

That information was forthcoming this week in a report by development quality manager Nick Brian which concluded with his recommendation to approve the application, subject to a raft of conditions.

These conditions included consent for the firm to process up to 15,000 tonnes  of sawdust per year, with a maximum  of 200 tonnes of wet sawdust stored on site to await drying; the drying plant would operate between 7.30am and 11pm Monday to Friday and 7.30am to 4.30pm on Saturday; and the sawdust would have to be transported to the drying plant in sealed containers.

Mr Halley also agreed to install measures to abate the noise coming from his new ‘cyclone’ drying plant.

Ward councillor Wilma Lumsden said she “reluctantly” supported the application, telling fellow councillors that she felt that, if the applicant appealed against a refusal, that appeal would probably be upheld by Scottish Government Reporters.

However, she called for further restrictions on the operating hours and more stringent monitoring of noise and dust emissions than proposed in Mr Brian’s report.

Councillor Lumsden’s motion to approve the application but with tightened conditions was supported by four other committee members, but it was an amendment by Councillor John Kellas supporting Mr Brian’s report which gained the eight-strong majority vote.