Pressure group ‘Say No to an Incinerator at Barr/Kiloch’ has welcomed the Scottish Government’s recent independent review of the role of incineration in the country’s waste hierarchy.
The report, authored by Dr Colin Church, found that incineration’s current place in the hierarchy as ‘preferable to other forms of residual waste treatment, but less desirable than reducing and recycling waste’ to be correct.
The review went on to suggest that Scotland should ‘limit the granting of further planning permissions for incineration infrastructure’, with an ‘indicative cap’ to be developed for Scotland’s residual waste treatment needs. This should decline ‘as Scotland transitions towards a fully circular economy.’
On 17 May, a stakeholder meeting with Dr Colin Church was held to discuss the results of the review. Say No asked whether the report’s recommendations offered clarification on the group’s call to stop the incinerator at the Killoch site by Barr Environmental.
The group referred to recommendation four, which says that planning permission for incineration infrastructure within the scope of the review can be granted – conditional on the construction being balanced by an equal or greater closure of capacity.
Church responded: “The point of recommendation four is that over time facilities close, operational facilities close, and these closing facilities could be replaced. It is not to replace something that is not in operation.
“So the effect of the recommendations, if the Scottish government were to accept them, would be that the planning application for the Energy from Waste (EfW) moving-grate incinerator at Killoch should not be granted.”
In a statement, Say No said: “This gives us full clarification that the Killoch incinerator was looked at in the review as a new application, and was not to replace the capacity of the previously granted gasification plant at Killoch, as it has not been built or in operation.”
Say No campaigner Annie Hood added: "Dr Church's words were music to my ears. What a relief to be certain that, after considering all the evidence, Dr Church came out strongly and clearly against Barr's proposal for an incinerator in Killoch.
“I hope the Scottish government is listening, and that confirmation of the refusal is made public in order to reassure local residents that this terrible threat has now passed.”
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