The Trust attended a pre-planning application consultation today held by Advance Construction who are the new owners of the Tullis Russell paper mill site in Glenrothes. The plans are still being developed but we were pleased to see that the river will be re-opened and the area linked to existing open spaces in Glenrothes including Riverside Park.
It was good to discuss the options available with the developers who were very receptive to looking at full re-naturalisation including removal of the weir, reservoirs and lades.
There will be many opinions on the site and full restoration may not be possible given site constraints, flood risk etc however the best way to engage is to have early discussions so that they at least know what the potential could be.
In that discussion there was some great chat about new cafes and restaurants near the river and the benefits of a wide range of wildlife that would enhance the experience. They were not aware that there is salmon, eels or trout in the river and were interested in the opportunities enhancing the river could bring.
Part of the Trusts work is talking with others to bring about change and today was a good example of how we can hope to influence decisions to improve our rivers.
If you live or work in the area and want to see their plans, the developer will be at Rothes Halls in Glenrothes between 1pm to 8pm tomorrow December 8th.
