Campaigners rubbish plan for waste depot

But residents fear the move will create significant problems with noise, traffic and vermin.

Concerns have also been raised that the plant would be too close to the site in Portobello Park, planned for the new high school.

A new group - currently named Portobello Against the Dump - is aiming to channel local anger against the plans.

It wants to recruit campaigners who successfully fought off a bid for a Tesco supermarket in the town two years ago.

Organiser Graeme Low, of Joppa, said the group was hoping to emulate the success of that campaign.

He said: "Most people that we have managed to speak to are unhappy about this. The consultation has been a joke.

"Not everyone received the letter they sent out and the exhibition they held seemed to be just a show of face."

The new plant, which would be privately-run by the council's main waste contractor Viridor, is being tipped as a potential replacement for the city's dilapidated facility at Powderhall.

Viridor today said it was taking the community's concerns on board and revealed it had delayed submitting a planning application for the site to allow more feedback on the proposals.

If approved, the new Portobello plant could handle more than twice as much waste as the Powderhall plant.

Councillor Maureen Child, Labour representative for Portobello and Craigmillar, said: "I can understand all of the concerns that these residents have, particularly in relation to the noise, traffic and potential for vermin.

"Should this go ahead, a lot of work will need to go into keeping all these factors to a minimum.

"We are hearing warm words from the company, but that needs to be backed up with action in terms of things such as environmental and traffic assessments."

Dan Cooke, of Viridor Waste Management said the firm would provide residents with details of a similar site in West London to see how it would work.

He said: "We believe that our proposals offer an excellent opportunity to regenerate and utilise this dilapidated site. Viridor's 'good neighbour' policy also means they work closely with communities"