A WAY of channelling compensation, from the operators of the Fife Ethylene Plant to communities disrupted by flaring over the years, could be set up early in the New Year.

This follows questions asked by Cowdenbeath and Kelty councillor, Alex Campbell, at Thursday’s full meeting of Fife Council.

Council Campbell, very aware of the concern expressed by people living in villages such as Crossgates, Lumphinnans and Cardenden as well as Cowdenbeath and Lochgelly, Benarty and Kelty, over flaring issues in 2019, asked at the meeting, what stage the local authority was at in asking for compensation from ExxonMobil, the FEP operators.

Said Councillor Campbell: “Co leader of the council, David Ross, answered by stating that he was intending to hold a meeting of community councils in January to discuss a way ahead and get their views on what would be the best way to proceed with this.

“It would be appropriate that community councils from the towns and villages surrounding the Mossmorran Petro-chemical site and the Braefoot Bay Terminal, should meet and give the council leadership their views on what would be the best way to organise this”.

Mr Campbell said that he felt that the community councils should be part of a system which would see a pot of compensation distributed on an annual basis to them to be used in communities.

He added: “I am not talking about very small amounts here, for all the surrounding communities have had to suffer disruption from flaring and noise over a long period of time and the impact of it has got worse this year.

“And this is not about buying communities off this is about compensation where it is due for all the years of lives being affected by noise and light from the gas plant.”

Mr Campbell said he had spoken to FEP plant boss, Jacob McAlister, at a meeting of Lumphinnans Community Council last week when he indicated that ExxonMobil were waiting for discussions with the council on the matter.

Concluded Mr Campbell: “It is important that this moves forward quickly and I will be pressing for this Super Meeting of community councils to take place sometime in January.”