A COMMUNITY organisation is opposing an energy recovery facility at the former Westfield Opencast site because they are concerned that Fife Council may not use it.

Cardenden Community Council has lodged a strong objection to the proposal.

Secretary of the Community Council, David Taylor, said: "The Community Council wishes to strongly object to this application to construct an Energy Recovery Facility at the Westfield site, on the grounds that Fife Council does not appear to be committed to using the facility.

"This means the people of Fife, especially the adjoining communities, will be subjected to unnecessary environmental impact with rubbish being transported and burnt from other parts of Central Scotland.

"We also wish to express concerns regards the environmental impact on Loch Leven and surrounding areas which will be subject to air and noise pollution, spillage and waste on the roads and damage to the roads infrastructure by the huge volumes of traffic which will be expected to transfer the waste to the proposed site".

He added: "Approval of the Master Plan for the Westfield site was granted on the premise that 2500 jobs would be created. This was based on an estimate of constructing over 100 industrial units each employing an average of 20 people.

"Local Councils are being urged, and achieving, to recycle more of their waste. Recent media reports suggest there is an over capacity of incinerators for the ever reducing amount of waste material produced.

"There is presently an incinerator on an adjoining section of the Westfield site which could provide any necessary heat and power to potential users of the site.

"It is therefore requested that this application be refused and the Master Plan reviewed".

Mr Taylor added: "I managed to download a copy of the report on Human Health Risks as it relates to the surrounding area of the site.

"The figures for the impact from emissions on children seem excessively high, with the highest levels of emission from the Facility falling on the east side of the site, which is the direction of the prevailing wind. As I am not qualified to interpret what the figures mean, we may need SEPA's help.

"The conclusion seems to be that since there is few children this close to the Facility the risks are small!

"The timing of this application has landed during the Community Council elections and Benarty CC has asked for more time to consider it.

"In my opinion this application is too big and important for Fife Council to consider on its own and we need more support from our MSP's, especially Mark Ruskell".