Perth and Kinross Council is demanding action to avoid any more fires at a privately owned Perth waste management site.
In February, 2023 a worker was tragically killed as a result of a fire at the site.
Last month saw the third lithium battery fire in three years at the Friarton site, resulting in residents having to take steps to avoid inhaling the toxic fumes and the Friarton Bridge being closed for 10 hours.
At a council committee meeting this week deputy council leader Eric Drysdale called the situation “unacceptable”.
On Wednesday, February 5 at the Economy and Infrastructure Committee meeting, convener Eric Drysdale told fellow elected members the council does not control either the granting or reviewing of the licence for waste management on the site, or fire safety arrangements on the site.
Perth and Kinross Council is urging all relevant parties – including the site owners Enva – to meet as soon as possible to “understand what action can and will be taken to prevent such incidents from recurring and to ensure effective collaboration across all agencies”.
Deputy SNP council leader Eric Drysdale said: “I would like to address the understandable concerns raised by many residents of Perth and Kinross regarding the fires at the waste management site at Friarton, Perth, and their impact on the Friarton Road Bridge and local residents.
“The most recent fire, in the early hours of 14 January, was the third to happen on the site, with the previous fire – in February 2023 – resulting in the tragic death of a worker on the site.
“All of the incidents were related to lithium battery fires.
“On this most recent occasion local residents again faced having to take action to prevent the risk of smoke getting into their properties, added to which local roads and the city centre became badly congested as a result of diverted traffic from Friarton Bridge which had to be closed for 10 hours. This also caused significant disruption to school transport, leaving pupils, including some due to sit exams, stranded for a lengthy period. And of course, the
bridge itself is an integral component of Scotland’s road network and its necessary closure will have caused widespread disruption to very many road users from across Scotland.
“In my view, this is an unacceptable situation which must be urgently addressed to find solutions which minimise any risks in the future.
“Perth and Kinross Council does not have a role in granting or reviewing the licence for waste management on the site, or for inspecting the fire safety arrangements on the site.
“Nor can we change or influence the use or disposal of lithium batteries, although the use, recycling and storage of these is currently under review at a national level.
“However, we do understand and share the concerns of our residents who are seeking reassurances about how fires at the site can be prevented in future. And, as representatives of the community we are committed to advocating for the safety and wellbeing of our residents.
“To this end we are inviting representatives of site operators Enva and lead agencies SEPA [Scottish Environment Protection Agency], the Health and Safety Executive, Transport Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Police Scotland to meet with the leader of the council, local parliamentarians, council officers and myself as soon as possible to seek reassurances, to understand what action can and will be taken to prevent such incidents from recurring and to ensure effective collaboration across all agencies.
“We shall keep members of the public, this committee and ward councillors informed of the outcome of these discussions.”
Following the statement given by Cllr Drysdale, local SNP politicians gave their backing to a meeting taking place with all stakeholders to discuss and take steps to avoid any more fires at the site.
First minister and Perthshire North MSP John Swinney said: “The recent fire at the Friarton site caused an unacceptable level of disruption for the general public and local residents.
“We must take all steps possible to ensure that this does not happen again and to prioritise the safety of the public. To that end, I welcome the call for all stakeholders to engage in substantive and meaningful dialogue.”
Perthshire South and Kinross-shire MSP Jim Fairlie added: “I fully back calls to get all stakeholders round the table to discuss not only the recent incident, but what can be done to prevent this from happening again. Following the most recent incident, I was contacted by many concerned residents looking for a resolution and this can only be achieved by us all working together.”
Perth and North Perthshire MP Pete Wishart said he previously called for a full investigation into the site.
He said: “We simply cannot allow this to keep happening. Not only is it putting people at risk, but the closure of Friarton Bridge causes traffic chaos in Perth.
“Following the previous incident, in which a man tragically lost his life, I called for a full investigation into the site. The need for this has only grown following the latest incident, and I therefore welcome Perth and Kinross Council’s call for a summit between stakeholders.”