‘Quatermass’ style “recycling village” rankles Newton Mearns
March 7 2011
The complex, the largest waste incineration plant in Europe, will recycle 1.5m tonnes of waste annually, generating some 96MW of electricity with 14, 400ft chimneys.
Though no formal application has yet been for the greenbelt site, one is expected in May, a pre-application consultation has already generated a great deal of heat from within the Newton Mearns community.
Writing to constituents Carslaw wrote of his concerns, stating: “What is being proposed for Newton Mearns – a quiet, leafy, residential suburb – takes us nearer the world of ‘Quatermass’ and the movie sets of James Bond.”
Carslaw’s hackles have been raised by the developers claims that the facility isn’t an incinerator, eliciting this response: “When is an incinerator an incinerator? LEV’s chief development officer, Willy Findlater, said in a presentation to East Renfrewshire councillors that 900,000 tonnes of waste will be incinerated.
"I would have thought that if something is incinerating something, they are probably incinerating it in an incinerator.”
The Conservative MSP went on to denounce the “hellish vision”, expressing concern at the likely need to erect pylons to Whitelees wind farm to connect the plant to the national grid.
Carslaw added: “This project, with its chimneys venting invisible clouds of mushroom residue into the atmosphere, is absolutely inconsistent with government policy.
In a web statement CDP said that “The design concept centres on the notion of creating a green landscaped ‘Science Park’ like environment as opposed to a generic collection of sheds which is typical of developments of this nature.”
9 Comments
#1 Posted by Iain on 8 Mar 2011 at 11:22 AM
East Renfrewshire rather than East Lothian shurely?
#2 Posted by Iain on 8 Mar 2011 at 11:32 AM
And Jackson Carslaw sounds like a particularly ignorant individual who is trying to spin a story here on what looks like an excellent, and not to mention needed, waste to energy facility.
Yet another case of nimbyism masquerading as environmental concern.
Yet another case of nimbyism masquerading as environmental concern.
#3 Posted by john on 8 Mar 2011 at 12:54 PM
A coconut to the person who comes closest to guessing how many lorry movements a year this will involve to and from the site. Very green indeed. Should think about somewhere with a rail connection
#4 Posted by Eddie Straw on 8 Mar 2011 at 15:03 PM
Good looking project. I think that this must be an advanced gasifier as no incinerators are ever built these days.
#5 Posted by D to the R on 9 Mar 2011 at 21:22 PM
At least this one looks good ..... did you see the one propsed in Stonehouse ........ woooooft
#6 Posted by Kevin on 10 Mar 2011 at 13:09 PM
Surprised that the local tory MSP is not supporting the private sector investing in the economy. Is this not what his great leader has just been espousing. Great project. Fantastic location. Top marks all round to the lifestyle guys.
#7 Posted by Nick on 11 Mar 2011 at 20:53 PM
Green? Friends of the Earth don't think so...
"A proposal for a recycling complex in Newton Mearns has been slammed by the outgoing Friends of the Earth chief executive Duncan McLaren.
...
FOE's Mr McLaren told The Extra: "We are intensely sceptical of these plans.
"At first sight it may appear better than a conventional incinerator, but in practice it could share many of the same problems".
"Unless most of the heat generated by the power plant can be captured and used, the efficiency of power generation in such facilities is so poor that carbon emissions can be worse than in conventional coal fired power stations".
"Delivering a zero-waste Scotland will mean ensuring high-quality recycling of separately-collected materials, not burning mixed waste and turning the residue into aggregate".
Full story here
http://www.glasgowsouthandeastwoodextra.co.uk/news/local-headlines/recycling_proposals_slated_1_1179498
"A proposal for a recycling complex in Newton Mearns has been slammed by the outgoing Friends of the Earth chief executive Duncan McLaren.
...
FOE's Mr McLaren told The Extra: "We are intensely sceptical of these plans.
"At first sight it may appear better than a conventional incinerator, but in practice it could share many of the same problems".
"Unless most of the heat generated by the power plant can be captured and used, the efficiency of power generation in such facilities is so poor that carbon emissions can be worse than in conventional coal fired power stations".
"Delivering a zero-waste Scotland will mean ensuring high-quality recycling of separately-collected materials, not burning mixed waste and turning the residue into aggregate".
Full story here
http://www.glasgowsouthandeastwoodextra.co.uk/news/local-headlines/recycling_proposals_slated_1_1179498
#8 Posted by Jamie on 22 Mar 2011 at 16:24 PM
"good looking project"?? The proposed site for this 'Lifetime Recycling Villge' is Greenbelt on the edge of a non-industrialised suburb of South Glasgow, home to some of the largest schools in Europe. This technology is not proven, and some of the estimates I have seen of lorry movements in and out of this development make my eyes water. The M77 motorway and local roads would be gridlocked.
Jackson Carlaw was initially told no plans for this existed, it took a Freedom of Information request to uncover them, which doesn't cast the developers in a positive light!
Jackson Carlaw was initially told no plans for this existed, it took a Freedom of Information request to uncover them, which doesn't cast the developers in a positive light!
#9 Posted by Gregan on 27 Mar 2011 at 19:58 PM
Glad you all seem to like it. Have you stopped to think why the chimneys are 400 feet high? I can tell you. So the the ground level concentrations of the toxic discharge comes down far, far away. Like East Kilbride, Castlemilk and when the wind blows the other way then Barrhead and Paisley. Still love it? Remember ReChem at Larbert? Children born with eye deformities deformed cattle etc. The safest place to live if this goes ahead will be Newton Mearns.
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