The controversial £250 million incinerator and waste recycling plant at Greengairs is to go ahead after permission for its development was granted at a fiery planning meeting.

Protestors cried “shame on you,” “we look forward to you buying houses in the area,” and branded councillors “an utter disgrace” from the public gallery after Thursday’s 12-7 vote in favour of the plant, despite receiving more than 1000 objections on health, environment and transport grounds.

Development company Airdrie North Limited will now construct a regional “energy from waste” incinerator and recycling centre on the site of the Drumshangie opencast coal mine at Greengairs Road.

Airdrie North councillor Jim McGuigan, in whose ward the plant will be built, proposed an unsuccessful motion – seconded by Airdrie South colleague John Love – to reject the proposal on the grounds that it contravenes the local and regional structure plans and greenbelt policy and that it could be a health hazard.
Fellow ward representatives Tommy Morgan and Sophia Coyle also registered their objections, and the former spoke at the meeting to say: “I’m disappointed to see all the progress of regeneration being flung back in our faces.
“We’re here to represent the public voice and if this has so much going for it, why where there 1000 letters? There are people involved who wouldn’t normally be because it’s negative to their way of life.
“I have difficulty with this recommendation because it flies in the face of improving quality of life, and Greengairs and the surrounding areas have suffered 30 years of coal extraction.”

Elspeth Wright of Plains community council spoke about the emission of pollutants, gases, ash and especially particulates PM10 and PM2.5.
She said: “We should be concerned about what comes out of the chimney as these aggravate asthma and respiratory diseases and pose serious long-term risks to health.
“The immediate health cost to NHS Lanarkshire will be £5 million per year from these particulates, so the total cost for 25 years plus problems not yet identified wipes out the investment.
“North Lanarkshire Council must adopt a precautionary approach – if it’s granted and things go wrong, we’ll know who to blame.”
Ann Coleman, of Greengairs, added: “For the past few decades people in our area have lived with numerous landfill and opencast developments presented as short-term pain for long-term gain.
“The former First Minister, Jack McConnell, visited seven years ago and said enough was enough and it should never happen again.

*This Incinerator poses a huge health risk to the Scottish people, wildlife and enviorment, please make a stand!