“Outdated” smell controls at a sewage works look set to be replaced and upgraded.
Scottish Water has secured planning permission for a new odour control carbon filter unit at its Allanfearn water treatment plant north of Culloden on the shore of the Moray Firth.
In a supporting statement lodged with its application to Highland Council, Scottish Water said: “The current odour control unit at Allanfearn was built in 1999 and uses steel pall rings as the filter medium to filter the contaminants. This system is now outdated and requires replacing with a more modern system which provides efficient filtering of the odours.
“We are proposing to replace the existing unit with a new odour control unit that uses carbon as the filter medium. The old unit will be removed from site and recycled in line with Scottish Water’s current recycling policy.”
The new filter unit will stand 1.3 metres taller than the existing one and be located centrally within the existing grounds of the water works.
Granting approval under delegated powers, planning officers said: “This site is screened from the A96 by a thick tree belt on a high bund and there is a smaller vegetated bund along the shore edge, but some existing structures are visible above this from the coast.
“The highest point of the proposed development is the proposed vertical duct, which measures approximately 8.5 metres high with a diameter of 0.3 metres. While its highest point is 1.3 metres higher than the existing building next to it, the scale and size of the proposed development are relatively small compared to existing facilities within the site.
“Therefore, the proposed development can be accommodated within the site without impacting negatively upon the amenity of neighbouring properties and the landscape of Special Protection Area. Its design is considered to be acceptable within the context of the overall Scottish Water treatment works.”
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