Sleepless nights for Kilmallie residents

DISGRUNTLED residents in Kilmallie are calling for action after being kept awake at night by noisy industrial works in Corpach, writes Neill Bo Finlayson.

At a meeting of Kilmallie Community Council on Tuesday evening, unhappy locals expressed their frustration over continued night works at the industrial estate and pier at Annat Point, which is keeping some residents awake.

Kilmallie Community Council member Mandy Ketchin said: ‘We’ve been talking about this for six months. None of us are wanting to cause problems with local business but this is a lot of people’s lives being affected. It’s every night, yet nothing’s happening about it.’

A number of Corpach residents have complained to the Highland Council about noise beginning at 4.15am and lasting until after 11pm.

Senior environmental health officer for the council Graeme Corner previously assured the community there has been no contraventions of noise restraints in planning conditions.

He said noise reduction measures would ‘require significant engineering works’ and the timescale of completion ‘would reflect the complexity and scale of the works’.

One Corpach resident said in a letter to community councillors: ‘We are subject to a regular loud barrage of “cannon shot” ... It wakens shift workers, unnerves children, pensioners, locals and visitors.’

Caol and Mallaig councillor Alan Henderson said: ‘One way or another [the council officer] has to come back and report to us on progress. I’m disappointed that hasn’t happened and at the lack of action.’