Environment protest targets Fife Council HQ

Fife House in Glenrothes will be the target of protestors who want to see the development proposed for Hillend, in West Fife, scrapped.

A coalition including Hillend Action Group, Extinction Rebellion Fife and Friends of the Earth Scotland will join together to say that granting permission for new fossil fuel infrastructure is incompatible with Fife Council’s climate emergency declaration from 2019.

The groups will bring banners and dust masks to highlight the climate impacts of this decision, as well as the increase in local air pollution and associated health risks.

This comes after the council approved a similar gas power plant to be built in Inverkeithing just last week.

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Ian Wragg from the Hillend Action Group said “The prospective site sits in a valley below the village, which causes fog and the toxic NOx pollutants carried in the air to accumulate engulfing the village and impacting public health. Both SEPA and the NHS have stated this is not a good location for the site due to the temperate inversions and close proximity to the village.

“To make matters worse a second gas peaking plant in Inverkeithing was unanimously approved by Fife Councillors last Wednesday only 1km downwind that will only compound air quality issues. I have a five-year-old son who is asthmatic and I worry about the impact the toxic NOx emissions will have on his breathing.”

Kate Whitaker from Friends of the Earth Scotland said “Last year Fife Council declared a climate emergency, and it has have already approved one new gas power plant in the last week.

“The impacts of the climate crisis are already being felt across the world, from the fires in Australia to flooding in Indonesia. We need to transition away from fossil fuel use as soon as possible, not build new infrastructure that locks us into fossil fuel use for decades to come.

“We urge Fife Council to honour their own declaration, consider the local health impacts and international emergency of the climate crisis and reject the proposals for a new gas power plant in Hillend.”

The protest will take place from 1:00pm-4:00pm to coincide with the council’s meeting.