Jim Hume, Liberal Democrat MSP for the South of Scotland, has expressed his disappointment after a representative of Scotgen pulled out of a meeting to discuss the controversial Dovesdale incinerator proposal in Stonehouse.

The MSP was set to host the meeting at Holyrood on the 24th November, but with less than one week to go Mr Hume received a surprise email from Scotgen’s agent withdrawing their participation.

Attendees at the meeting would have included Karen Gillon MSP, a member of Dovesdale Action Group and the NFUS.

Mr Hume said:

“This is very disappointing. The whole point of the meeting was to open up a dialogue with the developers and ask key questions about the proposal.

“There are some very legitimate local concerns about the location of the proposed development, not least because it’s in the middle of a piece of agricultural land stocked with organic dairy cattle, which is classified as green belt in the local plan.

“On the face of it, it does seem that the proposal breaches a number of local planning policies and quite rightly local people have questions.

“The fact that Scotgen’s agent withdrew their participation in this round table meeting at this late stage is extremely disappointing. It also sends the message that the company are unwilling to have any kind of open discourse with the local community.”