RESTORATION
PLANS FOR BALBEGGIE PRESENTED TO COMMUNITY
GM Mining
15 June 2000
A display highlighting proposals for the restoration
of the Balbeggie Avenue Opencast Coal Site has opened at the
Town House in Kirkcaldy, the administrative headquarters of
Fife Council Central Area.
The display is part of the public consultation process designed
to take account of the views of the community on preferred options
for the restoration of the site.
While one of the two shortlisted alternatives involved returning
land for agricultural use with some forestry planting, the preferred
option was the creation of a community woodland. This restoration
plan brings significant environmental and community benefits
including the resolution of flooding near the River Ore, the
creation of a wildlife habitat and a resource for educational
purposes.
Councilor W Aitken, Chairman of Fife Council Development Committee,
said, “ ”.
Graham Gillespie, managing director, GM Mining, said, “GM
Mining is continuing to restore the site and the landform has
been provided which shows much change when compared to the previous
years of mining. Distinct benefits are already being derived
through the encouragement of wildlife back into the area. We
are hopeful that discussions which are currently ongoing regarding
the Heatherywood side can be concluded positively as this will
facilitate final restoration of the Balbeggie Avenue site.”
The Heatherywood extension to the Balbeggie Avenue site will
involve approximately nine months of coaling and three months
of restoration and will include further landscape improvements
to the south of the parent site.
More Information: David Southern, Tel: 0131-624
0800
