Council's decision to delay biomass plan response welcomed by MSP
Dundee East MSP Shona Robison has voiced her support for the city council's call to the Scottish Government to defer a decision on the controversial biomass plant proposed for the harbour.
An artist's impression of how the Dundee biomass plant will look, if approved.
- By Andrew Argo
- Published in the Courier : 26.01.11
- Published online : 26.01.11 @ 01.16pm
The SNP public health minister, speaking as a constituency Holyrood member, said, "I have conducted my own survey of local residents' views about the biomass proposal and it is very clear that there are concerns about air quality and the potential impact on public health of this development.
"I very much agree with the recommendations and conclusions of the experts in the Scottish Environment Protection Agency when they state that no licence could be issued for this biomass plant because of ongoing and unresolved concerns about air quality.
"NHS Tayside have also said that far better information and monitoring of air quality is now required. On this basis, I welcome Dundee City Council's concentration on the importance of air quality and health issues."
The Dundee biomass decision may not be decided until after the Scottish Parliamentary elections.
No timescale was available yesterday for the various conditions imposed by Dundee City Council on Monday evening to be met and for the final decision by the Scottish Government.
Dundee's policy and resources committee voted by a narrow margin to ask the government to defer plans for the controversial plant at Dundee harbour pending a more complete environmental statement and information on air quality and public health.
This will include conditions on monitoring and mitigating air quality as a result of the proposed development and they have insisted that, if these terms are not met, the council will formally object to Forth Energy's application. If this stage is reached, a full public inquiry will be triggered.
Yesterday a spokesman for the Scottish Government said, "We await correspondence from Dundee City Council regarding their views on the development.
Further information
"If requested by the council, ministers will ask the developer for any further information on the application and this information will be fully consulted on upon submission to the government."
There was no indication how long it would take for the council's request to be forwarded to Forth Energy and the request to be met and returned for councillors' further consideration.
This could clearly take some time, and would be prolonged to allow a decision to be taken by Scottish ministers with or without a public inquiry.
As a consequence, the issue could be taken off the agenda until later this year, and certainly until after Holyrood elections in May.
Councillors have been told there may be considerable economic benefits from the biomass plant being ultimately approved.
It would be an investment worth £320 million and worth an estimated £26 million a year to the local economy.
09.44am - 27.01.2011 minime - dundee, scotland Report This
why was the motion carried? its about time dundee city council took a hollisitc approach to these developments - they are already concerned at the air quality in dundee then decide to allow a biamass plant in the middle of town - madness - councillors who voted for it should be voted out of office
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