Gillespie unveils £250m plans for waste-to-heat 'energy station'

Published Date: 09 July 2008
By PETER RANSCOMBE
BUSINESS REPORTER
PLANS for a futuristic £250 million "energy station" and recycling plant in North Lanarkshire were unveiled yesterday.
Airdrie North, a development subsidiary of the Gillespie Investment Group, said its plans would create 65 jobs at the new station and provide work for about 150 construction staff.The developer said the power plant would burn up to 300,000 tonnes of waste a year, producing enough heat for 30,000 homes, local businesses and public buildings, such as hospitals. Airdrie North said the site would also recycle 50,000 tonnes of rubbish each year.The planning application followed a series of meetings with North Lanarkshire Council, Scottish Natural Heritage, the Scottish Environment Agency and ADS, the government's architectural design service, Airdrie North added.The developer said it had consulted with residents in Greengairs, Plains, Glenmavis, Holehills, Rochsolles and Wattston.Under the plan, the developer would build a new mile-long section of the A73 trunk road.Scott Gillespie, managing director of Airdrie North, said: "Our proposals focus on creating an exemplar centre, which will deliver a substantial amount of energy from waste. "It will also deliver real economic benefit to the area through the creation of jobs in both construction and the ongoing operation."We have looked at the best possible models abroad and are committed to developing a facility for Scotland that will be among the best in the world."He added: "We undertook a wide-ranging consultation process and were pleased that a significant number of local people participated. "One of their main concerns was, quite rightly, the possible environmental impact. "However, the principle of utilising household waste in a sustainable manner, rather than simply sending it to a landfill site, was universally understood. This is especially pertinent in today's economic climate of rising energy bills."This centre could only operate by conforming to the strictest environmental regulations laid down by government at local and national level."Shirley Linton, planning manager at North Lanarkshire Council, said: "That application will now be subject to a public consultation period, after which it will be presented to the planning and transportation committee for discussion and debate. "No decision will be made on this application until that time."Owen Davis, a spokesman for Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: "Incinerators like this are really not an appropriate solution to our waste problems and addiction to landfill. "Investment in waste to energy plants such as this risks reducing incentives for waste prevention and recycling, and leads to unnecessary climate changing emissions."