Planning stink prompts review

The sewage will be treated into pellet form

Planning regulations are set to be tightened after a row broke out over proposals to dump sewage from England on an opencast mine in Scotland.

Deputy Environment Minister Allan Wilson pledged to take action following a debate in the Scottish Parliament.

Locals have reacted furiously to the proposals for the site at Dalquhandy in Lanarkshire.

Socialist MSP Rosemary Byrne called on the Scottish Executive to take urgent steps to ban the practice.

Mr Wilson insisted the recycling of fully-treated sewage by using it as a fertiliser on land was environmentally safe.

I will raise with my planning colleagues efforts to ensure community consultation Allan Wilson Deputy environment minister

But he vowed to lobby Scottish Executive colleagues to ensure planning rules were beefed up to make sure local people have their say on proposals for their area.

The minister said: "In terms of the planning process and the loopholes that have been identified I will raise with my planning colleagues efforts to ensure community consultation.

"I agree fundamentally that is the key to getting greater acceptance of the recycling effort that we have to put in."

Scottish Coal has agreed a six-month trial with Terra Eco Systems, a subsidiary of Thames Water, to plant treated sewage over a 37 hectare area on the 1,000 hectare site.

Scottish Coal and the executive have said the sewage would be in pellet form and would act as a fertiliser for the planting of willow trees.

Transparency urged

Ms Byrne said sewage spreading was already happening in other parts of the country.

She said planning permission was not needed and that local communities were kept in the dark.

"We must find a way to treat and dispose of our sewage that is environmentally friendly and poses no risk," she said.

"But it must be done in a manner that is democratic and transparent.

"The communities of Scotland cannot and must not be used as a dumping ground."

Scottish Coal also defended the scheme and said it would not have a detrimental effect on the environment.

A spokeswoman for the company said: "There are no health implications as a result of the proposal.

"The process has been approved by Sepa (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) and they would not have backed it if they thought it was not safe.

"Friends of the Earth have also said it is preferable to using a chemical fertiliser."