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12 March, 2010
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Published: 29 May, 2009
ANGRY protesters who claim an Easter Ross town faces becoming "a dumping ground" made their feelings clear to councillors and officials yesterday — as it emerged plans for a £43million "waste to energy" incinerator scheme have been lodged. Community leaders in Invergordon were protesting that a decision to reject proposals to allow municipal waste to be "bulked up" at a facility on the Cromarty Firth Industrial Park is now to be reviewed by a full meeting of Highland Council's planning committee. The issue has split councillors in the Cromarty Firth ward, with Maxine Smith and Martin Rattray describing the move as "an outrageous departure from local democracy and justice". Fellow ward councillor Carolyn Wilson is amongst the signatories to a notice of amendment calling for the decision taken by last week's Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross planning applications and review committee on the waste transfer station bid to be reviewed. Councillors at that committee went against the recommendation of officials who insisted the plans have no connection to the energy from waste proposals being developed by Combined Power and Heat (Highlands) Ltd — which could be considered by planners next month. Councillors Smith and Rattray rejected claims by officials that the "bulking up" plans would help provide a more streamlined service, and pointed to concerns about extra traffic on the notorious Tomich junction, and the amount of additional waste that would be handled in the town. Invergordon Community Council chairman Catherine Richmond, who attended yesterday's protest at Highland Council headquarters in Inverness, told the Journal, "Invergordon has had enough of being regarded as a dumping ground. We feel this is a precursor for an incinerator about which there are serious unanswered questions. There's another agenda going on here as regards waste strategy. A lot of people still don't know about the Combined Power and Heat plans which we feel is not the way forward. To be frank, we feel Invergordon has been shafted." The prospect of 42 lorries a day using a waste transfer station and an incinerator development was being seen as "the final nail in the coffin". She said, "We're standing up for our future and that of our children." Cllr Maxine Smith said, "The planning committee in Tain unanimously refused the application in Invergordon for the municipal waste to be handled, so I am shocked that some other councillors, predominantly conveners of committees, have brought this back for debate. We made the local decision and they should respect this." Cllr Martin Rattray said, "I am appalled that other councillors saw fit to interfere in a democratic process, which is intended to assist in decision making at a local level." A spokesperson for Combined Power and Heat confirmed that a planning application has been submitted. Related articles: 
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