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Binn Farm newsletter, 10 July 2010

Dear Binn Farm campaigner

Apologies for late notification, but you have until 27 July to comment on an application for planning permission ‘in principle’ (formerly known as ‘outline consent’) to build 114ha of polytunnels.

You can see details of the planning application here (when you are on that page you can make an online representation by clicking ‘Submit comments’).

The location map provided is too small to make sense of, so I have made a bigger one showing you the location of the polytunnels in relation to surrounding towns – click here.

Perth and Kinross Council has published a document titled Commenting to the Council on a Planning Application, which offers advice on how to make representations – click here to download this.

Here are some suggestions as to the sort of objections you could raise:

• Traffic – Will the increase in lorries and employees’ cars cause a logjam in nearby roads? Angus of Abernethy Action Group says: “with landfill traffic continuing at its present pace, plus polytunnel traffic (and all the other stuff envisaged), I find it impossible to believe the claim that traffic levels will hardly be affected. If, as planned, landfill use declined, then that would compensate. But it could take years, in my view.”

• Connection with proposed incinerator – Although initially the proposed incinerator/gasifier is only required to be 20% efficient, SEPA requires operators to demonstrate a long-term commitment to efficiency ratings of 60% or more. This can only be achieved if, in addition to generating electricity, an incinerator or gasifier also uses secondary heat to heat nearby buildings. This is why the polytunnels are mentioned in SITA’s application for a license to operate an incinerator. Building heated polytunnels is the cheap alternative to piping heat to homes in nearby towns.

Many people object to the incinerator on environmental and health grounds. Abernethy is just 2½ miles downwind of the proposed incinerator/gasifier, and already suffers the stench from the landfill operation. There is a considerable amount of evidence that emissions from waste incinerators increase the risk of certain illnesses. For example a study from Italy (Zambon et al 2007) found a link between cancer and the emission of dioxins from incinerators and other industrial sources (see page 52 of this report by Health Protection Scotland). Even modern incinerators and gasifiers can emit large quantities of dioxins. The new Isle of Wight gasifier was shut down recently because it was emitting 8 times the legal limit for dioxins. The Baldovie incinerator was found to be emitting 102 times the dioxin limit in June 2008. Emission breaches can go unnoticed for months because Scottish guidelines only require measurement of dioxins and heavy metals twice a year.  

• Greenhouse gases – According to Peter Jones, senior advisor to DEFRA, burning waste produces up to 2 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of waste. A large proportion of this is from plastic, which is a fossil fuel. The counterargument that only non-recyclable waste will be burnt will only be credible when the Government provides a list of specific items and materials that it regards as non-recyclable and therefore suitable for burning. As yet it has failed to provide such a list.

• Visual appearance –Angus thinks there probably isn’t much mileage in this line of attack. He says: “The whole site is pretty much invisible from the north, including Abernethy, Aberargie and Bridge of Earn, sitting as it does in a hollow in the hills. I find it difficult to visualise precisely, but I would say that the polytunnels would be at least partially visible from the road to the south (the A912), as would the EfW plant.”

Interestingly, on 2 July Perth & Kinross Council published a listed buildings notice in the Perthshire Advertiser, because the proposals will “affect the setting of a listed building”. This may be a reference to nearby Balvaird Castle, or perhaps to Binn Farm itself, both of which are listed – I hope to find out which on Monday. I dare say Historic Scotland will also have something to say about this.

I hope this is some help.

Best wishes,

Michael Gallagher, Green Alternatives to Incineration in Scotland