Incinerator ban ‘worthless’ as fourth new waste burner nears approval

Environmental and community campaigners have said the Scottish Government’s supposed ban on new incinerators is ‘worthless’, as a public consultation closes (22/9/25) on plans to build a new incinerator in Irvine, North Ayrshire.

Three incinerators have opened since the Scottish Government announced a ban on new incinerators in 2022 following an expert review highlighting how the country was in danger of having more incineration capacity than there was waste to burn if all incinerators in the pipeline were built.

The proposal in Irvine to burn 180,000 tonnes of waste has been fiercely resisted by the local community. Irvine Without Incinerators opposes the project on health and environmental grounds, arguing that locals were not properly consulted with on the proposals.

Loopholes in the Government’s ban meant that incinerators already in the planning system can evade the ban. The Oldhall Energy Recovery Facility in Irvine was given planning permission in 2020, but the environmental regulator SEPA must grant a permit before it is allowed to start operating. Over 1800 people have responded to SEPA to object to the project citing concerns about harms to public health, climate pollution and reduction in reuse and recycling activity.

Campaigners have written to Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action Gillian Martin MSP urging them to direct SEPA to not issue the pollution permit saying “the case against the Oldhall incinerator is so clear and well supported by residents, the Scottish Government is failing in its duty to protect the people from the damage this incinerator will do if allowed to start operating.”

The East Tullos incinerator in Aberdeen, which has also opened since the ban, was shut down in June 2025 because of 1,800 outstanding defects. Scotland had just two incinerators in 2018 but by 2028 there could be 17 incinerators, if all plants with planning permission are built.

Last month it was revealed that the Beddington incinerator, serving four London councils and which operates under a similar permit to those issued to Scottish incinerators, broke air pollution limits 916 times. Residents in Irvine are asking if this will also happen in Ayrshire, where there is a particularly high incidence of respiratory diseases.

Irvine Without Incinerators group member Veronika Liebscher said:

“We are firmly opposed to this waste incinerator on both health and environmental grounds.

“We continue to make strenuous efforts to ensure that this plant is not granted permission to operate.”

Friends of the Earth Scotland’s senior circular economy campaigner Kim Pratt said:

“The Scottish Government’s supposed ban on incinerators is so riddled with loopholes that it is worthless. Despite accepting the warnings of an independent expert review, Ministers have done nothing to stop the explosion in incineration capacity.

“Ministers are failing to use their powers to stop waste companies building these monster facilities in the face of fierce local opposition.

“Incinerators produce huge amounts of climate pollution and demand thousands of tonnes of waste each day, critically undermining the need to shift to a more circular economy where materials are reused and recycled.”

UKWIN’s National Coordinator Shlomo Dowen, said:

“We can do better than burning our valuable resources. Instead of allowing further incinerator expansion, the Scottish Government should make clear their commitment to ever-decreasing levels of waste.”