Millerhill waste site gets mixed response from locals

Plans to build a residual waste disposal site at Millerhill encountered a mixed reception last week as developers gave a presentation to locals.

The project is being run by Zero Waste, a joint venture by Edinburgh and Midlothian councils which is considering ways to reduce the amount of waste going to landfills.

Local residents met with the project planners at Danderhill Community Centre to find out more about the details for the site.

Billy Steedman, a landscape worker in the area said: “I’m totally opposed to the idea on the basis that there’s quite a lot of wildlife in the area. I’m there half a dozen times a week, so I know the lie of the land.

“There’s a wider issue at stake here. We should be looking at aspects of packaging as a whole, the bigger picture. Having an incinerator, yes it’s zero waste, but its not zero emissions and it still has an environmental impact.”

Local councils already operate a number of waste sites within the vicinity of the capital and Midlothian.

The project has identified the site at Millerhill as being suitable, but the bidding contractors brought in to run the project may also propose sites.

The number, location and configuration of facilities, as well as a choice of facilities will be determined by the tendering process.

The presentation at Danderhill Community Centre contained vital information for local residents about the nature of the proposed project, including the potential technologies used, and the environmental impact.

There were many representatives from the Zero Waste project on hand to answer the questions and criticisms of local residents.

Many people at the meeting seemed convinced by the plans, and happy for the site to go ahead.

However, some remained sceptical. Local resident Allan Thom said: “I was worried about the site being a problem, with things like smell and traffic. People worry about the smell that you get from Seafield. But this won’t be an issue, I’ve been told. The traffic will flow through the A1, and not through these local villages.

“The fines that the EU are putting on landfill are just going up and up. Maybe we should have been looking at it years ago.”

Lorraine Paris, another resident, asked: “What happens if there’s a strike? All the rubbish will just be dumped here in our backyard.”

Planning permission alone could take many months, so the project itself would not be up and running for several years.