Local residents from Fairlie contacted North Ayrshire councillor Tom Marshall (Conservative) this past week to report of a “sighting” of around 5 lorries convoying through the village en-route from Hunterston carrying coal. It is believed that coal is brought from Fife and blended with imported coal which is then bagged and shipped south from the North Ayrshire site.
One local resident contacted Kenneth Gibson MSP asking what can be done to mitigate the risk from such convoys and reduce the frequency and magnitude of traffic.
In an email forwarded to Tom Marshall, Mr Gibson was reported to have said that “Neither MPs nor MSPs have the power to stop such convoys.” He did add that that he had attended public meetings in Fairlie and raised the issue with Transport Scotland and Fergusson Coal.
Mr Marshall met with a manager from the site who said that convoys should not occur and they tracked vehicles using GPS to check this.
Local Conservative Candidate for Cunningham North, Jamie Greene, is seeking reassurances from all parties that everything possible is being done to monitor, control and reduce inconvenience to local residents.
He said “Not only am I disappointed by Mr Gibson’s response to this important issue, it is equally saddening to learn of potential job losses and cuts in this field. What is the Scottish government, our local MP and MSP doing to help companies in this industry across the West of Scotland survive?
It is clear to me that the importance of big local employers such as Hunterston Power Station and Fergusson Coal is being overlooked by an SNP controlled Scottish government intent on getting rid of so called “dirty energy”. They are putting political ideology before jobs in my view and I think it’s about time we did more to secure local jobs whilst protecting the needs of and concerns of local residents.”