Cunninghame North MSP Kenneth Gibson has vowed to relay Fairlie's concerns at Friday's meeting with Fergussons Coal, with hopes of setting up a lorry liaison partnership group.

Speaking at the recent Fairlie action meeting, Mr Gibson said that a ban on lorry traffic was simply not going to happen, but suggested that various restrictions could be put in place, and did not rule out the possibility of a 20mph limit.

Lorry convoys Noise, coal dust, and lorry convoys have all been issues brought up in recent weeks. Resident Iain MacLean of The Causeway likened the sound of empty lorries passing his household at 6.45am as ‘like a clap of thunder’.

Fergussons have denied a request by Mr Gibson for three representatives from the Fairlie Action Group to be at the meeting, but in preparation, he has urged the community to compile any questions that he could put to the Hunterston company. He will also represent a petition to Fergussons on the community’s behalf.

The local MSP believes the best opportunity of progress with the coal company is to co-operate, and has suggested that the community should engage in a Freight Quality Partnership (FQP) with the company.

Such partnerships aim to provide safe, efficient and environmentally-friendly solutions to freight transport issues at a local level.

Mr Gibson said: “Generally Heavy Goods Vehicles are free to use any road at any time unless a specific size or weight restrictions prevent access. Given Transport Scotland has not ruled out this option this is maybe something that we can consider. The driver and vehicle standards agency can be contacted to raise concerns about the environmental impact of HGVs operating in Fairlie. The DVSA is responsible for licensing HGV operators, and can undertake roadside inspections to ensure all HGV operator licensing is complied with and vehicles are roadworthy. You can also contact the relevant local authority environmental health department to investigate whether the noise from HGV operations constitute a statutory nuisance.

“Under the environment protection act, local authorities have a duty to inspect their area for such nuisances and investigate individual complaints where reasonably practical. If satisfied that a nuisance exists, the local authority must serve an abatement notice on the owner or occupier of the premises suited with the nuisance, contravention of which is a criminal offence, and for these purposes, the owner or occupier would be Clydeport.

“There are a number of things we can take forward and establishing a freight quality partnership, which has been set up by the Scottish Government, is another thing we can look at. This looks at putting together partnerships i.e agreements between commerical companies, including businesses such as the freight industry, community and environmental interest groups, and individual freight operators, to agree a modus operandi where they would agree to operate only between certain restricted hours. These would have to be agreed, and they would only have certain amount of tonnages.

“What this freight quality partnership does is that it provides a single contact and provides realistic and achievable actions, that provide clear economic, social and environmental benefits, and provides an effective working programme to deliver ongoing solutions.” Mr Gibson added that the partnership group could include shippers, Network Rail, Chamber of Commerce, and police, among others.

He commented: “When they are set up, the opinion of local people is sought, and data on traffic in the area is garnered and the type of goods, and you can restrict through this particular kind of good which would be in this situation - coal. I would propose at the meeting with Fergusson Coal that I put forward such a suggestion that Fergussons liaise with this group in order that we can carry out an agreement that allows them to carry out their commerical business, as after all, they are a business.

“Frankly if they want to ignore this group, although there are one or two measure I have touched on, asking NAC to look at statutory notice, I think it would be much more effective to get them round a table so we can agree on some points, as we all want to live together.” Mr Gibson is meeting Fergusson’s Coal on 8 August, and any questions can be put to them via Fairlie Action Group on their email fairliesaferoads@gmail.com Resident Graham Murray pointed out that restrictions had been put in place to stop construction traffic coming through Fairlie, and why could this not be done for coal lorries. Conservative councillor Tom Marshall stated that as these were new planning measures, it was possible to input the new conditions for such developments, whereas Clydeport had prior agreements put in place dating back many years as a port facility.

Questions were asked about moving the coal by rail but Cllr. Marshall pointed out that it was much more expensive. He added that police were against imposing 20mph limits, but he did point out that some coal traffic had been directed south including Gogar lorries.

However, Wendy McNab of Seamill stated that West Kilbride should not have put up with the burden either, after a number of recent crashes including a fire engine. She pointed out that they have also had to endure additional traffic including the wind farm construction materials, and commented: “You can’t solve Fairlie’s problem’s by heaping it all on to Seamill.”