Councillors welcome Invergordon waste court decision

Councillors have welcomed the decision of the Court of Session to put the application for a waste to energy  plant in Invergordon back to the Reporter.  

In publishing their decision the Court appears to have accepted all points put by the Council except the Tomich junction argument.  As a result of this, the application must now go back to a Reporter who will require to hear evidence as to whether planning permission could be granted now that the Court has ruled out a condition restricting the origin of waste coming to the proposed development.   

Welcoming the announcement Cromarty Ward Councillor Maxine Smith said: “I am delighted that we have the opportunity to go back to Inquiry to argue that planning permission should be refused. This incinerator is not wanted in Invergordon by the majority of people living here.   

“Myself and my colleagues refused this application way back on 18 August 2009 at The Highland Council’s Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross Planning Applications Committee and we will continue to fight it as long as it takes.”  

Councillor Martin Rattray added: “I think this is a positive outcome and I am sure the community will welcome this as they have worked so hard and fought with such enthusiasm.  Almost all of the community are firmly against this incinerator coming to Invergordon and it is a credit to their efforts and the work of the council’s legal team that the decision today has been made.  I would also like to thank the full council for backing our original decision to turn down the application.”  

ENDS