Jon Hebditch
Aberdeen residents will get the opportunity to air their views today on a controversial incinerator, planned for the Granite City.
The public hearing will take place at 11am at the council chambers on the proposed £150 million facility, at East Tullos, which would turn waste into energy.
Council chiefs claim the facility will provide renewable energy, heating homes, businesses and neighbouring areas and will help to reduce fuel poverty.
The facility has been proposed in an effort to reduce the amount of waste which north-east councils put into landfill – a practice which will be banned from 2020.
However, the scheme has provoked strong opposition from the local community, with 230 written comments and objections submitted to the authority.
The project’s opponents claim that it would impact on the environment, traffic flow and public health.
It is expected the energy from waste centre would take 150,000 tonnes every year from the city, Aberdeenshire and Moray. It has the potential to supply power to 25,000 homes and businesses through the sale of energy.
The hearing follows a public consultation earlier this year and a planning application which was submitted in March. The planning decision is scheduled to be made on October 6 this year.
An Aberdeen City Council spokeswoman said: “We would encourage as many of the public as possible to attend on Wednesday and hear for themselves the case for the facility.”
