MSP TO QUESTION SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL ON STONEHOUSE WASTE FACILITY

Published on Mon 28th Jun 2010

Jim Hume, Liberal Democrat MSP for the South of Scotland, is to question South Lanarkshire Council about the proposed energy from waste plant which Scotgen wants to build at Stonehouse.

The MSP has received a number of emails and letters from concerned constituents about the impact such a development could have on the rural landscape.

Mr Hume said:

"Although recycling and reusing the waste we create is important, we must equally work to minimise or even prevent it occurring in the first place, while also investigating the options of limited energy recovery at the other end of the spectrum, such as anaerobic digestion.

"And whilst there is a place for energy from waste developments in the bigger scheme of recycling and other waste initiatives, this should not be to the detriment of the local environment and it should not be at odds with local and national planning policies. Above all, every application must be subject to strict environmental regulatory requirements, such as, for example, the Waste Incineration Directive.

"There are concerns on this particular occasion that the proposed site of the waste plant facility is classified as greenbelt in the local plan, and is adjacent to a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

"Residents have raised genuine concerns with me, which I shall be taking up with South Lanarkshire Council."

ENDS