A WEST Scotland MSP has thrown his weight behind a community campaign aiming to stop a planned incinerator in Irvine in its tracks.
Green MSP Ross Greer has lodged a motion at the Scottish Parliament in support of campaigners who are saying it’s not too late to reject the Oldhall West incinerator.
In 2022 Scottish Greens co-leader and Scottish Government Minister for Biodiversity Lorna Slater announced a moratorium on new incinerators, but planning permission had already been granted for the Irvine incinerator.
However, with construction work still in the early stages, local group Irvine Without Incinerators have continued the fight in the hope of either persuading the developers - Doveryard Ltd, owned by Octopus Renewables - to change course, or to stop the granting of a licence for the facility to operate.
Local residents are lobbying both Octopus and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
Mr Greer, who represents the West Scotland region, said: “This incinerator is only going forward due to a quirk in timing.
"If it had been just a few months later, once the Scottish Greens entered government and imposed a moratorium, it would not have gone ahead, and for good reason.
“Incinerators cause harmful pollution and are simply unnecessary in Scotland, which is why we have put a stop to any more being built.
"Irvine Without Incinerators have estimated the operation of this incinerator would mean thirty four additional lorries of waste coming into North Ayrshire each day, from as far afield as Bedfordshire.
"It’s anything but renewable energy and I encourage any readers who are Octopus customers to tell the company to stop spinning that particular tale.”
Mr Greer's motion reads: "That the Parliament supports the campaign formed by local residents to oppose the waste incinerator proposed at Oldhall West, Irvine; regrets that planning permission was granted for the project before the Scottish Government's moratorium was in place; understands that local residents already experience higher than average levels of respiratory disease and that there are fears that this could rise as a result of an incinerator operating nearby; further understands that concerns have been raised about overcapacity and whether the plant is actually required; believes that locals have presented evidence that shows that waste incinerators produce immense volumes of greenhouse gases and disincentivise recycling and reuse, and calls on the developers of the proposed incinerator to drop their proposals immediately."
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