Town they ‘forgot’ over consultations
Promise to fix date and let Blantyre have say
Residents in Blantyre are being given the opportunity to view plans which would see an incinerator being built at Whistleberry Road in Hamilton.
Angry residents in Blantyre said they had been “overlooked” by the developer of the project, Clean Power, when it came to them having their say on the fresh plans.
Two public consultations were held last weekend, one in Whitehill and the other in Bothwell, for people to view the plans, but residents in Blantyre were keen to have their say on the energy recovery plant.
Margaret Ferrier MP and Clare Haughey MSP met with the developer to discuss residents’ concerns and now a date for the Blantyre consultation event is expected to be announced next week.
The proposed plant, which has received significant opposition from locals, is currently undergoing pre-application consultation over changes which include increasing the stack size from 25 metres to 90 metres.
In a joint statement, the politicians said:“we were not prepared to accept the developer’s pre-application consultation stage as sufficient while Blantyre was being ignored, and are glad that they have now agreed to hold one.
“The local community in Blantyre deserve to be heard, and this event will give them the perfect opportunity to engage with those behind the project.
“This project has been massively controversial, and these consultation events cannot just pay lip service – they must genuinely engage with residents over their worries. The size of the stack, the potential environmental impact and the negative influence of property value are all of concern to our Blantyre constituents.”
A spokesperson for Clean Power said: “Following discussions with Margaret Ferrier MP and Claire Haughey MSP, and after a request from the Blantyre Community Council, we are pleased to confirm that we shall host an additional event in Blantyre in order to take on their views. Full details will be announced soon.
“These consultation events give the local community the opportunity to discuss their views in a positive and constructive way.”