HM Treasury
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UK government pledges £255,000 to help residents of Blanefield
The government announces it will help Blanefield residents with the cost of removing contamination from their land.
Following an inspection in 2012 by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), thirteen households in Blanefield, East Stirlingshire have been informed that their land is contaminated by traces of lead and arsenic left as a legacy of the processes of a Victorian print works.
Because the print works has long gone out of business, the current owners of the land are liable for the costs of removing this contamination, which amounts to over £600,000 in total. Stirling Council has offered £125,000 towards the costs.
The UK government has committed to providing an additional £255,000 to Scotland, which will be ringfenced, to help with the cost of removing this contamination. It is hoped that the Scottish government will match the contribution from the UK government, so this work can get underway.
Economic Secretary to the Treasury Nicky Morgan said:
I am delighted that we are able to help the residents of Blanefield with a proportion of the cost of removing this contamination.
I hope that we are able to resolve this matter quickly, working with the Local Authority and Scottish government, to ensure that residents do not bear this unnecessary burden.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander said:
I am pleased that we are able to ringfence this funding for the residents of Blanefield.
I hope that the Scottish government will also help to solve this problem, and that this can be resolved as soon as possible.
