FEARS were raised yesterday that Inverness could be earmarked for a waste incinerator plant.
A new Highland Council planning blueprint appears to leave the door open for an energy-from-waste plant in the Longman area of the city.
And the Highlands and Islands branch of the Scottish Green Party accused the council administration yesterday of being “devious” and of trying to introduce an incinerator to the city “by the back door”.
Plans to instal a similar facility in Invergordon are the focus of a long-running community battle supported by former Harrods tycoon and local estate owner Mohammed Al Fayed.
But depute council leader David Alston questioned the Green Party criticisms and said there had been “full consultation” on the Inner Moray Firth local development plan.
He also said they had to consider how to deal with waste they cannot recycle.
Green Party campaigns co-ordinator for the north, Neil Hornsby, said the concerns were sparked by a line in the council document which states that the former landfill site at the Longman is “particularly suited to waste management facilities, including an energy-from-waste facility”.
Mr Hornsby insisted this gives a “green light” to anyone who wishes to build a waste incinerator on the site and rules out “in principle” objections to any planning application for such a facility.
He said: “The SNP, Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors on the Highland Council have colluded to impose an energy-from-waste plant on Inverness by the devious means of burying an extremely brief but specific provision for this controversial technology deep within its proposed Inner Moray Firth local development plan.
“This issue has huge implications for the council’s Highland-wide waste management strategy. To justify this contentious measure on the basis of a few words is wholly unacceptable.
“If the SNP, Labour and Liberal Democrats really believe that an energy-from-waste plant should be sited at the Longman landfill site, then they should be open about it and initiate a full public consultation. They should set out their case for the idea, and address the full environmental, social and economic implications of their plan.”
He accused the council of ignoring responses to an earlier consultation which said that most respondents did not support an incinerator being built on the site, due to concerns about the impact on the environment.
Mr Hornsby said the Green Party was “fundamentally opposed” to waste incineration as it believed toxic materials could be released and the need for a constant inflow of waste could undermine recycling schemes.
He added: “Highland and Islands Greens therefore urge all community councils, residents and businesses to register their total opposition to the councillors’ horrendous plans.”
Liberal Democrat councillor Mr Alston hit back last night, insisting there has been full consultation on the Inner Moray Firth local development plan.
“It was approved by all councillors and it is disappointing to see the Highland branch of the Green Party try to turn this into a party political issue,” he said.
“The Green Party has an important role in contributing to debate over environmental and waste management policies, but they need to acknowledge that others care about our environment too.
“All members of the council are committed to increasing recycling, reducing waste and stopping the trucking of residual waste from Highland to landfill sites in other parts of Scotland – a hugely wasteful, expensive and polluting process.
“We will be left with the question of how we, as Highlanders, deal with the waste which we cannot recycle.”