Chairman's Report on Incinerator

Our Chairman Brian Raine has produced the following report on the campaign to stop the Incinerator at Shore Road.

Report

I am sure that everyone is aware of the result of the DCC meeting of 24.11.09 and we were pleased that the Councillors at the meeting agreed unanimously to refuse permission for the reserved matters application. We would have preferred them to have recommended revocation to be voted on by the full Council but accept that perhaps this was a step too far given that few were fully up to speed with revocation.

However, what emerged clearly was that our message about revocation had been taken on board because nearly all those speaking against the Shore Road development focused on revocation to a greater or lesser extent. I believe that this would not have been the case 3 or 4 months ago.

Without blowing our own trumpet too much I believe that, not only has our CC carried out a well organised and consistent campaign but local people came forward with knowledge in areas of planning and technical matters to help the CC sustain this campaign. Consequently, we have developed a better understanding of this subject matter than most of the professionals involved.  This was community action at its very best.

At the DCC Meeting we put together a formidable presentation starting with Douglas Fulton, followed by a real focus on the technical side from Dave Beattie, then Graham Fleming, Denis Munro, Joe Cairns and Terry Myers. It was by far the most coherent set of presentations made that day.

Following that meeting we decided that the best approach would be to work with the Council to ensure that they do revoke this application. Consequently, a letter was sent to all Councillors, Ian Innes and Roland Bean stating that we were pleased with the unanimous decision to refuse permission for the reserved matters and that, although we would have preferred a motion that recommended revocation, we accepted that a report on revocation needed to be put to the full Council. We also offered to assist in any way we can to secure revocation.

Thereafter, Dave Beattie, Denis Munro, Joe Cairns and I met with Ian Innes and Jim Irons who briefed us on their press statement which indicated that they were going to seek further legal advice and clarification on the process of revocation in order to prepare their report on revocation which will be put to a Special Council Meeting before the end of January. They explained how it would be impossible to do so sooner. We were comforted that they are taking full advice externally.

In addition, we decided on the following:
1.  To prepare our ideas on revocation and the actions of the planners etc. so that these can be available for Councillors and ourselves to fight all eventualities.
2.  To write another letter of complaint about SEPA and pass this on to Roseanna Cunningham.
3. To write to Grundons pointing out how strong the opposition is to this development, how much support we have and that we will continue our fight to ensure that this incinerator does not go ahead. We suggested that this might well be the time, diplomatically and pragmatically, to draw a line under this operation and withdraw.
BGK CC would like to thank all who have supported our campaign so well thus far. It was great to see so many members of the public at Dewars for the DCC Meeting and to convey to the Councillors the strength of feeling that exists on this matter. We must, however, remain vigilant and ensure that pressure is maintained so that revocation becomes a reality and Perth remains a ‘Fair City’.

Brian Raine, Chairman