West Fife landscape to be improved thanks to deal struck by Fife Council

The landscape of the west of Fife is to be improved after Fife Council struck a "unique" deal.

According to the local authority, it has struck a deal between Comrie Development Company and Scottish Power to use the remainder of the Comrie Bing to cap the Ash Lagoons at Valleyfield.

It will mean the removal of a long-standing eyesore at Comrie and creating an opportunity for the redevelopment of the former colliery, with the project allowing for the capping of the Ash Lagoons at Valleyfield to be completed, creating a better local environment in Torryburn and Valleyfield.

Planning permission was granted to Scottish Power in September 2020 to put a cap on the Ash Lagoons at Valleyfield, which were flooded to overcome the problem of ash being blown from the site in periods of dry weather and affecting residents of Torryburn and Valleyfield.

The work was also necessary to allow the firm to meet the terms of its SEPA licence for the disposal of ash from Longannet Power Station at the site, which had been ongoing since the 1970s.

After a site search for suitable material, the Comrie Bing was tested and found to be the ideal material for use in capping the lagoons at Valleyfield.

Comrie Bing is a legacy of deep mining at the former Comrie Colliery, consisting largely of sandstone and limestone dug from the ground to allow access to the coal seams below. 

Councillor Altany Craik, Fife Council's Convener for the Economy, Tourism, Strategic Planning & Transportation Committee, said: "This is a win-win for West Fife.

"Two sites with a legacy of the coal and power industries in Fife are helping each other to tackle environmental issues and improve the environment for local communities.

Fife Council’s Economic Development and Planning teams worked alongside each other to put the companies together to make the project happen.

Councillor Craik added: "This is an excellent example of Fife Council aligning its different teams to improve our environment, tackle issues from our industrial past, attract new investment and provide positive results for our communities."

Pam Ewen, Head of Planning for the council, said: "I’m delighted that we are working with all the parties involved to make the most of this unique opportunity to assist the rehabilitation of the Comrie Colliery site by putting what’s left of the Comrie Bing to good use at another site in West Fife that has experienced problems in the past."

Local firm I&H Brown is undertaking the work of moving the remainder of the Comrie Colliery Bing to the Valleyfield Ash Lagoons site over a maximum period of 60 weeks.

Lorries will be routed through the Clackmannanshire and Kincardine Bridges to minimise the impact of heavy traffic on local villages and communities. 

Fife Council says that discussions between the new owners of the Comrie site, Comrie Development Company, and the local authority's planners are at an early stage regarding possible after-uses for the wider Comrie Colliery site once the last of the Comrie Bing has been removed, leaving a possible development platform at the site. 

Local Community Councils have been kept informed with the possible redevelopment of the Comrie site, with the potential to turn an eyesore site into a mixed use development area providing jobs for locals as a key part of the scheme. 

Scottish Power has agreed a Biodiversity Enhancement Management Plan for the Ash Lagoons site with NatureScot, RSPB Scotland and the council.

It will guide the future management of the site following the capping process, allowing the site to maintain its important role as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and an important habit for wintering birds, protected by European law at the moment.