Council officers have prepared a “briefing note” on handling objections to an “incinerator” scheme in Aberdeen, ahead of a crunch meeting this week.
A leaflet and template objection form have been circulated around Torry in recent weeks calling on residents to complain to council chiefs about the £150million energy from waste project planned for East Tullos.
Critics have scathingly branded the development an “incinerator” and Torry, Cove and Altens, Nigg and Kincorth Leggart community councils have all given their views.
The new plant would generate heat and power from waste that cannot be recycled and council chiefs have claimed it will fit in with the city’s ambitious green agenda.
They have argued that new laws coming from the Scottish Government could land them with huge penalties in the future if they don’t reduce waste going to landfill.
But objectors have responded some of the waste for the plant will come from as far away as the Moray coast and negate any reduction in the local authority’s carbon footprint.
Councillors will meet tomorrow to decide whether the plans should be put to a public hearing before a final decision is made.
The leaflet has raised issues such as “Torry is the dumping ground of Aberdeen” and highlighted fears of “over-development” to the south of the city.
Last night, Torry community council secretary David Fryer said: “Wehave objected to this from the start because we don’t feel an incinerator like this should be placed anywhere near a residential community.
“We want a public hearing.”
According to the proposal, operations would run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with HGVs driving between 7am and 7pm Monday to Friday and 7am to 1pm on Saturdays.
If the scheme is agreed, the plant would be able to take in 150,000 tonnes of waste a year collected by Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray councils.
From 2021, Scottish councils will be banned from putting any biodegradable waste into landfill.
However, the incinerator would be operational by then if it gains planning consent and it has been claimed that up to 10,000 households in Aberdeen could benefit from low-cost heating through the project.
Last night finance convener Willie Young said: “This administration is dedicated to our green agenda, and simply not doing this will not allow us to meet that.”
