Council to consider Hunterston response
3 November
A decision on the £3billion coal-fired power station at Hunterston is expected to be submitted at a consultation next week.
North Ayrshire Council is set to discuss an 85-page report, prepared by their planning officers, with the Scottish Government, on the proposed multi-fuel plant on Wednesday, November 9.
Just over a week ago, s1westkilbride reported that more than 20,000 people had signed a petition to stop the plant - more objections than any other plan in Scottish planning history.
Now the council is advising the government to object to the proposals and side with them in refusing the application.
Elected members will consider the report, which recommends that the council formally objects to the plans, and will ask the Scottish Government to hold a public inquiry if it intends to approve the application.
However, whilst North Ayrshire Council is expected to submit its views on the proposal to the Scottish Government's Energy Consents Unit, it is not the decision-maker for the Ayrshire Power Ltd application - the final decision lies with Scottish Ministers.
The report recommends that the local authority objects to the proposals and recommends that the development be refused due to:
- Adverse impacts on landscape quality, built heritage and designated natural heritage sites
- Insufficient information and uncertainty of the potential impacts on human health, the environment, terrestrial and marine environment
- A lack of full carbon capture storage technology from the first day of operation and an incompatibility with existing uses at the site
- The application's inadequate consideration of the wider potential for industrial development, environmental sensitivities, or transportation issues
- A lack of appropriate mitigation for sitting, design, landscape, seascape and visual impact
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