Scottish Ministers are being asked to lift a ban on using animal waste to feed an energy plant after East Lothian councillors accused its developers of "greenwash".
The developers of the planned anaerobic digester at Bangley Quarry, north of Haddington, had their application to have a condition barring them from using animal by-products (ABPs) lifted rejected by East Lothian Council's planning committee in March.
Greenforty Developments had claimed they had been approached by local farmers keen to supply "slurry and manure" to the plant in return for the resulting compost in a "fully circular economy".
READ MORE: East Lothian energy plant accused of 'greenwash' over animal waste plans
However Councillor Sue Kempson, committee member at the time, questioned how local the farmers were, as it was revealed one named supplier of the APBs was based near Penicuik, in Midlothian.
Dr Kempson told the committee: "We are being subjected to a lot of greenwash."
Now the firm behind the project, which has been delayed by the pandemic, have appealed the decision to Scottish Ministers asking them to lift the ban on APBs at the site.
In March Marc McElhinney, from Greenforty Developments, asked the committee to change conditions attached to its original planning consent, which restricted its annual capacity to 77,500 tonnes and stated that “no household or commercial food waste or animal by-products shall be transported to or processed within the anaerobic digestion plant”.
Mr McElhinney asked that the capacity be increased to 100,000 tonnes and ABPs be allowed to be used.
He said: “During the last two years, when we had to put construction on hold, we have been approached by local farmers who wanted to supply slurry and manure for the project.”
The proposals received 15 letters of objections with concerns about odours, additional traffic and leakage of polluted waste from the site.
One objector told the committee: “Animal by-products are toxic waste and should never be transported but should be dealt with in situ.”
Another accused the developer of “playing the system”, asking the committee: “Why would you consider removing conditions put in place to protect the local community?”
And Haddington and District Community Council said there were “good reasons” for the conditions being imposed in the first place and no justification to removing them now.
Councillor John McMillan, ward member and the administration’s economic development spokesperson, also had misgivings.
He said: “When I hear the bulk of it [ABPs] is coming from Penicuik, it makes me question the green credentials of the project.”
However, Councillor Norman Hampshire, council leader and planning convenor, backed the plans, telling the committee: “This will deliver a huge benefit to East Lothian, the farming community and the environment.
The committee voted by five votes to four to reject the change to conditions and keep the ban on using ABPs in place.
The appeal, if accepted, will be allocated to a Scottish Government Reporter to investigate.
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