Could the Biomass Plant be this big?As the initial consultation process draws to a close on the Forth Energy proposals for Biomass Power Plant on Leith Docks, it would seem that it isn't just Greener Leith that has reservations about many aspects of the proposals. Whilst you can download our formal submission to the Scottish Government here, we thought it was time to focus on what other people are saying about the plans.

We've managed to pull together the responses from the following local groups here:

• Leith Links Community Council
• Leith Central Community Council - Part one & Part two
• Leith Links Residents Association & subsequent letter in Evening News.
• Leith Harbour and Newhaven Community Council

Residents of Rennies Isle are clearly concerned too. One of the issues that seems to unite everyone is the proposed scale and size of the plant. The image above was produced by one member of the Leith Links Community Council, in an effort to show people exactly how big the proposed plant is and what it could look like.

However, it isn't just local groups that have voiced concerns over the proposals. The proposals seems to drawing criticism from across the political spectrum.

Local Labour Councillor, Gordon Munro said in this article, "Forth Ports couldn't have gone out of their way more to rub people up the wrong way over this. It will be a huge blot on the landscape if it goes ahead." Gordon has also submitted a formal response to the consultation. 

Meanwhile Cllr Marjorie Thomas, the Liberal Democrat Councillor for the Leith ward said, "The main issue most people have is over the proposed size and the location, right on the shoreline. I've hardly spoken to a single person who is in favour of it."

In this article in the Evening News, Councillor Tom Buchanan, the city's economic development leader, "I would have to see their detailed plans, but is the first view someone on a cruise liner wants [of Edinburgh] a large biomass centre?"

And in this article he said, "This plan has almost come out of nowhere. It wouldn't appear to fit in with other proposals for Leith, such as the giant wheel and the new liner terminal. This could be the first thing you see when you arrive in Scotland."

Planning Leader, Cllr Jim Lowrie at the City of Edinburgh Council also says the plant will be "a real blot on the landscape." 

In another article in the Scotland on Sunday he said, " he expected the authority to have a "major say" on whether the scheme should be approved or not.

"I'm not too happy with it, particularly as a lot of the material they are going to be using to power the plant is to be shipped into Leith. There are a lot of concerns locally about the impact the fumes will have, particularly on elderly people, and with new schools being built in the area.

"This big wheel is supposed to be coming to Leith over the next few years, an expansion of Ocean Terminal is urgently needed, and we are talking about trying to attract more cruise liners to Leith, but this could be a real blot on the landscape and put off future development."

The Council leader, Jenny Dawe said, "Clearly the impact of this plant in terms of the fumes it produces is going to have to be looked at very closely. We decided against having small biomass boilers in a number of our schools after significant health and safety concerns were raised.

"We had very strong advice that there may be a danger from having biomass boilers in air-quality hotspots where there are large numbers of people living or a lot of traffic."

Robin Harper, Green MSP for Edinburgh and the Lothians said in this article, "If Forth Energy were serious about doing this properly they would be coordinating with the Forestry Commission and Scottish companies and making long-term agreements for fuel supply. 

"A proper biomass plant could be extremely good for the area, especially if it was designed to provide both heat and power to local housing developments.

"It makes sense for Edinburgh and Leith to generate more power close to where it's needed, but this is really not the right approach."

Residents of Rennies Isle, have also published an email response they've received from Mark Lazarowicz, MP for Edinburgh North and Leith. He says, " I have looked into this closely, and I think it is clear that the proposed plant is too big and in the wrong place. The idea of renewable energy is good, but importing so much of the wood from overseas undermines that claim also."

We've also been forwarded this response from local MSP Malcolm Chisholm too. In his letter he notes the 'considerable local opposition" and that he is contacting many of the people in his constituency to tell them about the proposals. He therefore expects to receive "many more representations over the next few weeks."

So that's elected members of Labour, the Greens and the Liberal Democrats voicing public concerns on the proposals. However, on the weekend of 27th/28th it seems that George Kerevan, who is the SNP Westminster Parliamentary candidate for Edinburgh East has decided to up the stakes considerably by making the Biomass Plant an election issue.

This illustration featured in SNP candidate, George Kerevans election flyer.

Over that weekend Leithers in the constituency received an A4 flyer entirely focussed on his opposition to the Forth Energy proposals. If the current Biomass plans 'must be stopped' as he claims, then perhaps we are safe to assume that the SNP who run the Scottish Government (who will decide on whether or not to give Forth Energy the go ahead), have already 'taken a view' on the Forth Energy proposals? 

On the 31st, we also noticed that both SNP councillors in the area, Cllr Munn and Cllr Brock had a joint letter published in the Evening News entitled "Time for Biomass firm to think again."

Despite widespread opposition, Forth Energy don't seem to have stopped trying to promote their original proposals at the moment, with a 'For' and 'Against' piece published in the Evening News this week. 

We understand that Forth Energy plan to submit a detailed planning application in the summer. It will be interesting to see how much they take heed of local concerns. 

The Leith Neighbourhood Partnership are also planning to fund a special workshop event, to be run by Planning Aid Scotland, that aims to help local residents respond effectively to the full planning application when it is lodged. As soon as we have more details of both the Forth Energy application, and the Planning Aid Scotland workshop, then we'll post detiails on this blog. 

Note - this post has been revised over the week as we've received views from new sources.