Coal Authority flags possible old workings at Irvine turbine site

A wind-turbine proposal at Meadowhead Industrial Estate in Irvine has prompted the Coal Authority to recommend ground checks for possible shallow coal workings before any above-ground development.

In a statutory consultation response, the authority said part of the site falls within a defined Development High Risk Area and a potentially workable coal seam outcrops across it. It said unrecorded workings may pose risks to ground stability and public safety.

The authority says the applicant's preliminary mining-risk assessment identified possible instability from shallow workings associated with the Kilmarnock Major Coal. It recommends conditions requiring intrusive investigations and any necessary remediation or mitigation before above-ground work, followed by a competent-person statement before occupation or use. It says it has no objection if those conditions are imposed.

That consultation advice is not a planning decision and does not establish that workings or instability are present. The authority also says its permission is needed before intrusive investigations or other activities that disturb its property.

North Ayrshire's current summary continues to list the application as Pending Decision. The submitted turbine elevations are marked indicative, with the final model still to be selected.