£1m clean-up fear for Fife bus museum

Fears are growing that the bill to clean up an environmental nightmare on the doorstep of a national visitor attraction could reach £1 million.

Thousands of visitors to the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum at Lathalmond, near Dunfermline, are greeted by the sight of a 30 foot high pile of rotting rubbish left behind when a recycling company ceased trading a year ago.

FEARS ARE growing that the bill to clean up an environmental nightmare on the doorstep of a national visitor attraction could reach £1 million.

Thousands of visitors to the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum at Lathalmond, near Dunfermline, are greeted by the sight of a 30-foot pile of rotting rubbish left behind when a recycling company ceased trading a year ago.

Now Fife Council leader Alex Rowley has called for action.

He said the matter is even more pressing since First Option Services had recycled waste into animal bedding.

Following the deaths of livestock last year, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency issued a warning that, when used as animal bedding, it was likely waste gypsum would produce considerable levels of hydrogen sulphide which, in those circumstances, posed a risk to animal and human life as well as the environment.

Mr Rowley has now written to his own planning officials and Sepa, demanding that action is taken to address the situation.

“There are many businesses who now trade out of the M90 Commerce Park and this complete eyesore at the entrance is not acceptable.

“We have the bus museum operating from the site and I cannot imagine what people must think when they visit and see this stockpile of old carpets, plasterboard and goodness knows what else.”

He was concerned about potential pollution.

“I am told the smell coming from the site can be very horrible so who knows what is running off this area.”

“This complete eyesore... is not acceptable.”

Alex Rowley

Mr Rowley was surprised when told no planning breach had taken place.

“I cannot believe that this kind of activity and complete mess at the entrance to this site could ever have been acceptable but I am very clear that it is no longer acceptable for this mess to be just left like this.”

Residents have reported seeing some activity on site, and machinery removed, opening up the suggestion it had been put into receivership.

Now Mr Rowley is demanding that tests are carried out to see what kind of risk exists and sought clarity on what action can be taken and who will take responsibility for a clean-up.

“I have been told that the cost of cleaning up this site could be anywhere between £700,000 to £1m but the cost of doing nothing could be much higher.

“There are many questions and I am now seeking answers and proposals for action to address this unacceptable position.”

Sepa confirmed it had been taking enforcement action about the deposits of waste carpets and plasterboard at the site.

This included the service of notices under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which required the removal of the waste carpets by last January and the removal of the plasterboard that is being stored outwith a processing shed by June 3. These have not been complied with.

Further enforcement action is being considered and Sepa is monitoring the site.

Council lead officer Mark Russell said they were investigating and would report back to Mr Rowley as soon as possible.

Alex Rowley is unhappy with the rubbish pile.