Incinerator plans at Dovesdale are denied
Viridor refute move to resurrect previous proposals
Viridor this week denied it is planning to build an incinerator at Dovesdale, near Stonehouse.
The Dovesdale Action Group, which successfully campaigned against Scotgen proposals after planning permission was granted for a facility to be built at the site in 2011, has reformed after hearing that a new application is expected early next year.
The group are planning to meet on Wednesday (December 21) in St Ninian’s church hall at 7pm.
Member John Young said: “Despite the previous successful campaign to stop Scotgen building an incinerator at Dovesdale, a new application is expected early in 2017 by Viridor to erect a similar construction to that previously proposed.
“In 2012, communities across South Lanarkshire united to oppose the incinerator, attracting 24,000 letters of objection to the application. Campaigners fought a long battle on many fronts to protect our environment, health, local economy and the communities affected by the threat this development would bring to the area.”
He continued: “Now we are ‘getting the band back together’ and need help in opposing this.”
Mr Young also said that the group will encourage political support against any development.
He added: “More information will be made public as we seek to establish more detail.”
South Lanarkshire Council confirmed that the landowner had informed the local authority that they were “considering” a development on the site, but no planning application had yet been submitted.
However, Viridor has strongly denied any involvement.
A spokesman for the company told the Advertiser this week: “In September, South Lanarkshire Council announced a 10-year partnership with Viridor to transform the treatment of non-recyclable residual waste, in line with Scottish Government strategy.
“The partnership will process around 80,000 tonnes of residual waste each year, diverting over 95 per cent of that away from landfill.
“As part of that contract, Wm Hamilton and Sons will provide transfer and logistics services for the transportation of non-recyclable waste to Viridor’s £177m state-of-the-art Dunbar Energy Recovery Facility (ERF). The facility is currently under construction and scheduled for completion in December 2017.”
The spokesman stressed that Viridor are not connected with any thermal treatment proposal that is being progressed.
South Lanarkshire Council say that planning consent at the site had been preserved since the original application.
Pauline Elliott, head of planning and economic development at South Lanarkshire Council, said: “The site at Dovesdale received planning permission for an energy-from-waste plant in February 2011 and, although that development was not taken forward in full, the owners preserved the planning consent by making a start on and completing the access to the site.
“The owners have now made us aware that they are considering taking forward a development on the site, but they have not at this stage provided details of how the site would operate or the likely timescale for any applications that might be required. At this time no planning application has been submitted for consideration by the council.”