Lilygrace (4) begs council not to build incinerator near her home
Youngster pens letter
A four-year-old girl from Hamilton is on a mission to halt plans to build an incinerator near her home.
Little Lilygrace Mcghee called on South Lanarkshire Council chiefs to reject plans from Clean Power Properties by submitting a letter of objection to the authority.
The determined youngster, who has attended meetings and protests against the incinerator, put pen to paper in a desperate plea for plans to be shelved.
Lilygrace will start St Paul’s Primary School after the holidays, and spent time in the nearby woods during her time at the nursery.
Her letter reads: “I wish to note my objections. There is deer, voles, also my friends at nursery use the woods for forest school and it will hurt their health.”
Lilygrace’s mum, Samantha, said: “Lilygrace knows about the development from hearing her dad, Peter, and I speaking about it and attending meetings.
“She attended the first protest at the county buildings and always tells everyone she does a lot of shouting at them!
“Lilygrace starts at St Paul’s at the end of the summer, and she previously used the wood with the nursery for forest school.
“She loves the outdoors, getting mucky and spending time with nature.
“She asked how she and her friends can stop them building in her woods, and had seen us writing our letters of objection and asked if she could write one too.
“I sat with her to help, and she really concentrated to do it.
“She is quite stubborn, and when she puts her mind to something, she will absolutely do it.
“The objection letter is all her own work and speaks from the heart.”
Lilygrace’s effort was supported by local politicians Davie Mclachlan and Monica Lennon.
Councillor Mclachlan, representative for Hamilton North and East, said: “This is a very clear message from one so young. Yes she will have been supported by her loving parents but it’s young people like Lilygrace who will be damaged more by this facility than any of us in older generations.
“It is vitally important we listen to her concerns and stop this incinerator and protect the generations that follow, protect the young people in schools and nurseries on the doorstep of this site.”
Ms Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, added: “Lilygrace is absolutely right to raise her concerns about the proposed incinerator at Whitehill, and that’s why I felt it was important to highlight them in my own objection letter.
“This development is not wanted by the local community. It will have a negative impact on the residents of Whitehill and the surrounding affected areas and the potential health impacts on the development of our young people, like Lilygrace and her friends, is really worrying.”
South Lanarkshire Council acknowledged receipt of Lilygrace’s letter. Pauline Elliott, head of Planning and Economic Development, said: “This application is currently being considered by the council and a copy of Lilygrace’s letter was received and acknowledged on June 20, 2017.
“The comments and representations submitted to the council will be taken into account when the application is being assessed.”