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Waste depot protesters take to streets

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Published Date: 29 July 2008

MORE than 150 campaigners fighting plans for a waste transfer station in Portobello staged a demonstration on Saturday.

The campaigners were out on Portobello High Street to drum up local support for the fight against plans by Viridor to build the £7 million road-to-rail transfer station in the former rail freight yard off Sir Harry Lauder Road.

The station will s

ee more than 200 trucks every day delivering rubbish which will be put on trains bound for a landfill at Oxenwellmains, Dunbar.

It will mean fewer road journeys to and from the landfill, with Viridor estimating it will cut its CO2 emissions by 42 per cent.

The council will discuss whether or not to grant the application on Wednesday. More than 700 objections have been received from the public, raising concerns about the effect on traffic in the area and its overall impact on the amenity of residents.

On Saturday, local MP Gavin Strang and Kenny MacAskill MSP both attended the demonstration and were joined by local councillor, Stephen Hawkins, who said: "The opposition to this unnecessary development has resulted in a massive number of objections. I hope that the planning committee, in reaching their decision, pay heed to the real concerns expressed by local people."

Dan Cooke of Viridor said it was pleased with recommendations for approval and looked forward to a fair hearing "based on planning merit and fact".

The full article contains 239 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.

Page 1 of 1

Last Updated: 29 July 2008 10:34 AM
Source: Edinburgh Evening News
Location: Edinburgh
Related Topics: Environment

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Clen Peapus,

Edinburgh 29/07/2008 12:43:00

If this development goes ahead it is a clear signal from the council that it has no aspirations to develop and improve the Portobello/Seafield area at all. Seafield already contains a sewage works and a 'community recycling facility' (i.e. a rubbish dump). This new waste transfer depot minutes along the road in Portobello would reaffirm that the eastern waterfront is Edinburgh's dumping ground!

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Pop goes the Weasel ,

Edinburgh 29/07/2008 12:49:56

Clen,

It's an industrial area. What's being proposed is an industrial process in an area where there has been rail freight use. This wont be a dump or a landfill. It looks like it's purely for waste to come in on lorries and then leave on a train.

I dont see the big deal.

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alex paterson,

edinburgh 29/07/2008 13:02:44

Porty stinks at any time,ever taken a dip in the sewer they have for a seaside.

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Corruption____,

29/07/2008 13:15:26

This is the perfect place for a waste transfer station. Good road links from all over the city, on a main railway line, it's a former industrial area and not overlooked by any residents.

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Wassup,

29/07/2008 13:16:55

Perhaps the serial nimbys in Porty would like to offer an alternative location for Viridor.

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JimmyC06,

29/07/2008 13:21:21

I have said this before and will say it again,
People from Porty ought to get a life. They complain about the empty land but, when something suitable is suggested, they complain and object.
I really hope this goes ahead, just to show the people of Portobello!!! Haha.

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Clen Peapus,

Edinburgh 29/07/2008 14:43:45

Some clarifications to add to my post at #1. I don't live in Portobello, however I consider it to be a potential asset to the city if it is developed and improved appropriately.

I accept that such facilities need to be situated somewhere, and Portobello does have good transport links and it is close to an existing waste facility.

The essence of my post was to highlight that the area's development could be hampered by this facility. I know that Portobello has an entirely different set of circumstance to, say, Leith. However I would have hoped that the council had some aspiration to improve the area beyond a brownfield site, to match the massive investment further along the coast. By this I don't mean eight-storey allegedly luxury flats!

I think #3 makes a fair point. If this facility goes ahead then the likelihood of ever improving the 'stink' is greatly reduced.

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alex patersons English teacher,

29/07/2008 15:46:24

Waste depot protesters take to streets

I hope they return both immediatly.

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rs,

in ma house 29/07/2008 22:56:02

happy to produce the waste!!!

why not have the Waste Depot down at Seafield

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sjs,

Edinburgh 30/07/2008 10:56:52

What's quite interesting is National Rail and Transport Scotland, as well as the Scottish Government have all rejected improvements to rail services east of Edinburgh based on: A) Full capacity at Waverley, and B) Congestion on the East Coast Main Line.

How can Viridor's 200 trucks a day be translated onto a congested railway line? Personally I feel Viridor should subsidise the improvements to the railstock (doubling from 2 to 4 tracks) between Harry Lauder Road and Dunbar, the congested section of the line and the section they'll be using...

As for that area, I agree it is industrial and as long as the road network can cope (this needs careful study) then it shouldn't cause too many problems for anyone living nearby.

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