Money raised from proposed new landfill tax measures must be spread more widely across Tayside, a regional environmental group has warned.
Tayside Biodiversity Partnership wants the tax paid by operators to be spread further than just a 10-mile radius from the landfill site.
The group was responding to a Government consultation on plans for a replacement tax relating to the disposal of waste to landfill.
The proposals include communities benefiting more from landfill tax, with operators to contribute 10% more than under current arrangements.
Others include looking at the administrative and regulatory model of the fund and the 10-mile radius rule, making sure that those most affected by landfill benefit most.
A spokesman for the group said: “The money from the Landfill Tax Communities Fund should be used for local environmental projects on a wider regional basis than just a small 10-mile radius of the landfill site.
“For instance, in Tayside the money should be used for local projects across the whole of the area covering Perth and Kinross, Angus and Dundee, administered by an environmental body which covers all the areas involved a body such as the Tayside Biodiversity Partnership, which understands the biodiversity issues specific to the area
“The allocation of funds should be made on a regional basis by committees with local knowledge as to what projects are worthwhile and of benefit to the local community.
“These committees should be appointed by open competition and the members should have knowledge of funding and managing local environmental projects.
“A 10-mile eligibility radius to landfill sites is too small. People on a much wider basis can be affected by a landfill site for instance through air pollution according to the prevailing wind, or through water pollution, which has an effect much further downstream in the water catchment area.
“Indeed, there are situations where the immediate area to the landfill site may be less affected than further afield.
“The best solution could be for the wider community to benefit, as defined perhaps by a river catchment area, if appropriate, or for the sake of a neater administration, by the area covered by the local or regional biodiversity partnership or forum.”
The submission stated that, until now, in Tayside, landfill community funding has been used across the whole of Perth and Kinross, Angus and, at one time, Dundee with the approval of Entrust.
The allocation of funds is carried out by Perth and Kinross Quality of Life Trust, with the environment assessment being made by the Tayside Biodiversity Partnership.
The spokesman continued: “This is a set-up which has worked well and fairly over the last seven years, with more than £700,000 going to small environmental community projects in Tayside.”
The group also submitted that using some of the tax for efforts to tackle illegal dumping “could be a valid use of the money”.
However, it warned against stretching the cash too widely and having a detrimental impact on the money available through the landfill communities fund for local environmental projects “to halt the decline in biodiversity and healthy ecosystems, with the potential loss of natural resources to the Scottish economy”.