Controversial incinerator backed

Councils are being asked to consider alternatives to landfill

Plans for a new waste incinerator in Perthshire have been approved, despite major opposition to the project.

The plant, to be based at Binn Farm, south-east of Perth, aims to generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 7,900 homes.

Several hundred residents objected, but Perth and Kinross Council said there would be no adverse impact.

The plant's approval came at a time when local authorities are under pressure to cut landfill operations.

'Toxic fumes'

It is claimed that the incinerator would generate energy from 60,000 tonnes of municipal waste a year.

But local people, including those living in Glenfarg, Abernethy and Earn, raised concerns about toxic fumes being released into the air.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency Sepa also objected to the plant, claiming the developer, Sita UK, had not done enough to research alternative sites.

However, Perth and Kinross Council officials concluded: "It has been demonstrated clearly that there will be no significantly adverse environmental impacts, in particular on public health, as a result of the proposal."