New plans for former Fife colliery

Councillors have agreed plans to place a recycling centre on Comrie Colliery to help clear up the mess from the disused deep mine.

The proposal for the former pit in Oakley, from Comrie Estates Ltd, which is a member of the

Caledonian group of companies, will see a screening and crushing plant on the site to assist with the restoration, which will be focused on the removal of the colliery bing.

The colliery was closed in October 1986, but in order for the bank bond to be discharged to the Coal Authority, the site has to be returned to its original state.

There are currently over 300 hectares of derelict land, and a substantial bing still on the site.

Planners told councillors that the restoration would be funded by the recovery and sales of the material still left at the site.

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There were 30 objections to the application.

They covered issues such as a lack of public consultation, pollution, environmental and ecological damage to the area, and concerns over the operator’s previous recycling facility .

At the central and west planning committee on Wednesday, concerns were raised over the mud being tracked onto the A907, which also saw substantial water runoff from the wheel clean facility.

Planning officer Martin McGroarty told councillors that the new proposal would see the wheel clean moved further back so it was on the side of the hill so water would run backwards into the site, instead of onto the road.

Cllr Bobby Clelland said he was still concerned about the noise impact on locals. He asked if compensation could be arranged to locals, in a similar way to Mossmorran.

However, service manager Mary Stewart said the proposal would be “pretty difficult to defend”.

She added: “It’s almost like asking the developer to do something to benefit the community and also pay the community for doing so.”

Emma O'Neill , Local Democracy Reporting Service