Dairy firm at risk of fine over noise nuisance

ONE of the UK’s biggest dairy firms could face a fine of up to £40,000 following complaints about noise from its plant in Cowdenbeath.

Fife Council is making a submission to the procurator fiscal regarding a possible prosecution following issues at the Graham’s The Family Dairy site.

It follows two statutory notices relating to noise from the plant at Glenfield Industrial Estate.

In a letter to Green MSP Mark Ruskell, the council’s head of protective services Nigel Kerr said there was no guarantee the noise, which residents say prevents them from sleeping, would stop.

“The potential outcome from this legal process is a fine,” said Mr Kerr.

“However, the courts cannot require that the noise nuisance is abated.”

According to the letter, statutory notices served in 2019 were complied with. However, it says Graham’s has failed to address notices served last year. Low frequency noise was said be a “particular issue” in the area.

Local Labour councillor Alex Campbell said: “There are now more and more people coming forward, which would indicate the problem is getting worse,” he said.

Mr Ruskell said: “After repeated attempts to stop the noise pollution, Fife Council have been left with no choice but to escalate the statutory action to the procurator fiscal.

“However, there remains a concern this could simply result in a fine and not actually address the root cause of the problem noise. First and foremost people want a good night’s sleep.”

He added: “I’ve invited Robert Graham to meet myself and residents so he can hear first hand the impact this site is having on their lives.”

Mr Kerr confirmed the council is progressing a report to the procurator fiscal but said he hoped matters could still be resolved, saying: “The onus is now on Graham’s Dairies to resolve these noise issues.”

Graham’s did not respond to a request for comment.

A TEENAGER is gearing up for a Herculean challenge to help save a crumbling museum dedicated to a little-known Scottish poet whose words inspired Robert Burns.

Sixteen-year-old Sam Allen will climb the equivalent of Mount Everest to raise cash for Michael Bruce’s Cottage in his home town of Kinnesswood in Kinross-shire.

The visitor attraction honour the 18th Century writer, who became known as the “Gentle Poet of Lochleven”. However, the cottage, where Bruce was born and died, is in need of around £10,000

A “shocking” rise in deaths of homeless people across Tayside and Fife has sparked calls for more social housing.

New figures from the National Records of Scotland (NRS) show there were 216 deaths in 2019, about three times the figure for England and Wales.

More than half (54%) were said to be drug-related.

In Fife the numbers trebled in the space of a year, from six in 2018 to 15. There were nine deaths in Dundee, up from six, and another six in Perth and Kinross. Two deaths were recorded in Angus, with none the year before.

A new method searches records for evidence the person had been homeless.

The figures include people who were staying in temporary accommodation at the time of their deaths, as well as rough sleepers.

Mid-Scotland and Fife Conservative MSP Liz Smith is calling for urgent action.

“The homelessness deaths for Fife in 2019 are quite shocking