Two local council election candidates have pledged to work together with government bodies and other parties to find a solution to clean up a site just outside Dunfermline which has become a serious environmental hazard and is restricting economic development in the area.
Graeme Downie, Scottish Labour candidate for West Fife & Coastal Villages, and Gordon Pryde, Scottish Labour candidate for Dunfermline North, want to see action to clear up the over 7000 tonnes of old carpets and plasterboard at the Lathalmond site just outside Dunfermline.
After visiting the site this week and seeing the mess and environmental damage for themselves, the pair have agreed they will prioritise seeking a solution should they be elected in May.
Although the site lies within the West Fife & Coastal Villages Ward, both Mr. Downie and Mr. Pryde believe it will take a coordinated effort to clean-up the site, regenerate the local environment and put in place a plan to use the site to bring jobs to the wider area.
Graeme Downie, Scottish Labour candidate for West Fife & Coastal Villages, said:
“Lathalmond has been a blight on this part of West Fife for almost a decade now and it is going to take coordinated if we are to make progress.”
“The site has the potential to help the local economy and deliver jobs to West Fife but that can’t happen until this unsightly and hazardous waste is properly cleared.”
“Gordon and I will work together after the election to keep this issue on the agenda and help reach an agreement which will allow speedy progress.”
Gordon Pryde, Scottish Labour candidate for Dunfermline North, said:
“People across Dunfermline know about the mess up at Lathalmond and it is in everyone’s interest to see this problem sorted quickly.”
“Cooperation is the only way we will get anything done. The environmental damage being done must be reversed and the site returned to a constructive use.”
“We need to work with SEPA, Scottish Government and other bodies to find a solution to this problem as quickly as possible.”