THE company behind the controversial Irvine incinerator plant has declined the opportunity to attend a town hall meeting on the project.

Irvine Community Council wrote to Doveryard asking it to attend a public meeting in the town to discuss their plans.

However, it indicated they were “not interested” in taking part and said it had previously declined that kind of opportunity.

Coast Communications, who carry out PR for the company, said it expected it would be a “noisy and aggressive affair with “the loudest voices drowning out others”.

Community council chair, Chris Pless, then asked the company about organising a Zoom call but again it was not interested.

The Oldhall incineratorThe Oldhall incinerator (Image: Doveryard) The community council said it would still consider going ahead with a town hall-style event in January and would invite the company anyway, with other groups including the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and the Scottish Government.

There would also be a digital platform which would allow participants to dial into the meeting.

A spokesperson for Doveryard, said: “Engaging with the local community is a top priority for us and we already do this in a number of ways, including holding a quarterly Local Liaison Committee with residents, councillors and other key stakeholders to share updates on the project and hear any concerns. 

“We’ve also recently met with Irvine Without Incinerators to listen to their views, and provide more detailed information about how the energy recovery facility will operate, as well as the strict environmental regulations and robust safety measures in place.

"We do everything we can to keep all local stakeholders groups informed about the facility and answer their questions and we will continue to do so.

“The team working on the Oldhall Energy Recovery Facility always welcomes questions and comments from the community about the project. We also encourage people to contact us on our website at this link and sign up to our newsletter for more updates.”