Application for new waste facility in Fort William

Planning permission is being sought by the Highland Council for a new waste transfer facility in Fort William that will broaden Lochaber’s recycling capabilities and end its use of landfill for municipal waste.

 

Validated on July 27, the application seeks to build a 49m long station, plus office, adjacent to the existing Highland Council Recycling Centre in the Ben Nevis Industrial Estate. The site is owned by Alvance British Aluminium.

 

The station would allow the bulking of waste in order to transfer it to recycling and waste centres, as well as provide space to separate recycling. This would allow the council to stop placing municipal waste in landfill, which it must legally do by the end of 2025.

 

If the application is successful, the council projects that the facility will handle 12,000-13,000 tonnes of waste per year and would be ready for use around the winter of 2024.

 

Whilst the new waste facility would be built at the existing recycling facility on a brownfield site, the application has required a heritage impact assessment due to its use of land designated as the site of the Inverlochy Battlefields.

 

The two battlefields are considered highly sensitive heritage sites. The first battlefield relates to a 1431 conflict between the Scottish Monarchy and the Lords of the Isles, although Historic Environment Scotland states the precise location of where the troops fought is unclear.  The second battlefield is from the 1645 victory of the Marquis of Montrose’s royalist troops over the Marquis of Argyll’s Covenanters.

 

Despite the significance, an impact assessment by Highland Archaeology Services concluded that previous disturbance created by existing buildings means any additional impact on the site would be negligible.

 

In supporting documentation, Historic Environment Scotland wrote: "Our view is that the proposals do not raise historic environment issues of national significance and therefore we do not object."

 

In a statement on the application, Fort William, Inverlochy and Torlundy Community Council said: "A new facility would mean Lochaber can comply with the forthcoming 'no landfill' legislation and stop the dozens of bin lorry journeys around Loch Eil every week. This will save the council money and time, as well as being 'greener'.

 

"It could be that a few Claggan residents will be unhappy about where the site is, despite it being situated between an industrial estate and an aluminium smelter, around a quarter mile from the nearest residential properties. The Community Council will support Claggan Residents Association if they have concerns, and will ask for the facility to have extra control measures, if this is thought necessary."

 

The council already has a contract with Viridor to accept mixed waste at a facility in Dunbar, which it believes will cut carbon emissions by 27 per cent compared to using landfill. The council is also expecting to roll out food waste collections thanks to a successful Recycling Improvement Fund bid.

 

Full details of the application can be found on the Highland Council planning website, using reference 23/02722/FUL. The expiry date for neighbour consultation is August 24, and a decision on the application is expected by Tuesday September 26.