NATIONAL Grid have plans to decontaminate a former gas works in Kelty.

Full planning permission is sought for the remediation of a site at Whitegates Terrace which will include the removal of spent iron oxide, tar tank and potentially tarry material, to be replaced with uncontaminated material.

The company say they want to voluntary upgrade the contaminated site to secure the potential for "future use of the site" and will remove the remaining primary sources of contamination.

If approved the work will take between four and seven weeks to be completed. There would be no planned road closures associated with the works but there will be a slightly greater than normal number of vehicles in the area.

The cost of the works can not to be disclosed because it is commercially sensitive information

A spokesperson for National Grid said: “National Grid is seeking permission to carry out some environmental improvement works to the former Kelty gasworks site.

"These improvements are in line with works other former gasworks across the country. We will continue to keep local residents informed of planned improvement works to the site and ensure that any inconvenience caused is kept to a minimum.”

Some residual industrial by-products have been left over from the site’s former use as the village's gas works.

The site was a former colliery with an associated gas works and before the advent of the use of natural gas the product was manufactured from coal.

In the 1970’s homes were converted to use natural gas, rather than manufactured gas, and by 1976 all buildings related to the former facility, including two gasholders had been removed from the Kelty site.

National Grid have stressed that the site does not pose a risk to residents, but monitoring would be carried out during works to ensure there are no risks to workers on site or our neighbours.

Gas company SGN have applied also carry out some works at Whitegates Terrace, which has now been approved.

An SGN spokesperson said: "We’re carrying out some minor work across our site which requires planning permission.

"Our application is completely separate to National Grid’s and it’s merely a coincidence that they’ve also submitted an application for development on adjacent land."