PLANS FOR an extension to an opencast site near Kirkcaldy, and also the construction of a rail halt to export the coal, will be discussed by councillors next week.

Durham company Hall Construction Services is proposing to extract around 480,000 tonnes of coal over two years by extending its site at Earlseat Colliery off Standing Stane Road near Mackie’s Mill.

The company intend to export most of the coal via the adjacent East Coast line —some will be conveyed by lorry to serve local markets —and has the backing of Network Rail.

Previous proposals for a halt to serve the site, where extraction has finished and restoration is ongoing, fell through due to problems in negotiating an agreement with the rail operator.

When the application was lodged this year, Hall indicated that it was hoped the new opencast work would create between 30 and 40 jobs.

The proposal, which is being recommended for approval subject to a legal agreement, will go before Wednesday’s meeting of the Glenrothes area committee.

Councillors will hear the coal will serve the power generation market and the industrial sector and will mainly be exported by rail.

The plan includes the import of 50,000 tonnes of lower-carbon coal a year —1000 tonnes a week—to blend with the carbon-rich opencast coal, producing a higher grade of fuel.

Rather than have the lorries return empty, they will be be used to take 50,000 tonnes of the mixed coal to local markets.

There would be 14 truck movements in and out of the site a day, and Fife Council’s Transportation Services say that is suitable and they have no objections.

However, the majority of the extracted coal will be moved by rail, something planning officers say is essential to the suitability of the working of the Mackie’s Mill site.

In a report on the proposals, they suggest that councillors agree that “the use of the rail halt for exportation purposes shall be required to be incorporated into a legal agreement, as the proposals may not be suitable if the rail use is not achieved.”

Planners also suggest the applicant be allowed to carry out preparatory measures in conjunction with the rail halt construction, although no coal will be allowed to be moved by road apart from the 1000 tonnes a week of blended coal.

Suitable conditions regarding all work stopping if evidence of bats, red squirrels, otters or badgers are recommended, as are a legal agreement and financial bond to ensure restoration and aftercare of the site, although it it noted that Hall has a good record in this respect.

Two representations backing the opencast proposal have been made and there have been no objections.