An Aberdeen priest has condemned council chiefs for backing a controversial £150million incinerator project near his church.
Councillors voted 23-14 on Thursday to grant planning permission for a massive plant in Tullos which will take waste from Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray to be burned and turned into energy.
The facility, which will have a 260ft chimney, aims to reduce the carbon footprint of the local authority ahead of tough Scottish Government regulations due to be imposed by 2021.
Work is expected to begin on the project in 2019.
But Father George Hutcheon, parish priest of Our Lady of Aberdeen for the past 12 years and planning officer for Kincorth Community Council, branded the decision “utterly disgraceful”.
He said: “It seems to me that the council is hell-bent on making this a reality regardless of the feelings of the local community.
“The people of Aberdeen’s health concerns have been ignored, never mind the impact of what is said to be six lorries an hour coming in and out of the plant to the already busy traffic system.
“I’m sure we will see it from my church, the chimney is so large they will have had to put lights on to stop helicopters crashing into it.
“The reality is that they have decided to put this in a deprived area and bought off the residents with promises of cheap heat.
“We are looking at a plan B and are certainly not giving up on this.”
Nigg, Kincorth and Cove councillor Andrew Findlayson voted the project by scrapped on Thursday.
He said: “My concerns have been driven by the proximity of the facility to housing and a school.
“I certainly understand where Father George is coming from.”
But fellow ward councillor Neil Cooney backed the site at the meeting, adding: “I understand there are genuine worries about the project… but look no further than little Denmark where there are 28 plants in operation.”
