Campaigners are taking legal action in an effort to halt a major upgrade of a Highland sewage plant.
Scottish Water has begun the first stage of revising its Ardersier water treatment plant to accommodate thousands of new homes at Tornagrain and business expansion at Inverness Airport.
Objectors in Ardersier are adamant that a new sewage works is built closer to Tornagrain.
They have warned that the council-approved £11million upgrade of the plant on the edge of their village would threaten the local environment including the dolphin-friendly waters of the Moray Firth.
Jenny Maylin, chairwoman of the Ardersier Foundation community campaign group that opposes the upgrade, has confirmed that a judicial review process against Highland Council is underway.
She said: “A judicial review is important, to highlight that Ardersier has been ignored since 2007 and that the entire community does not want this type of plant here.
“It’s not too late to halt this plant as they are only clearing the site at this point.”
The organisation also claims that work on the revised Scottish Water plant is endangering badger setts.
It has urged the council – the local planning authority – to consider alternative technology, namely a Forres-manufactured Biomatrix water treatment system that it considers to be a “cost-effective, natural method of filtering sewage.”
A spokeswoman for the council said: “Our planning officials will follow up any complaints made to them or concerns raised about planning conditions not being adhered to.”
Scottish Water confirmed that it had received a letter from the foundation informing it of its intentions.
A spokesman for the utility said: “As a responsible organisation we will, of course, ensure that we comply with all conditions of the planning consent.
“We’ll continue to engage with the local community, with the first meeting of the community liaison group early in the new year, and will work with them wherever possible as we carry out the upgrade to the existing waste water treatment works.”
Planning permission was granted in October. The utility is installing ultra violet treatment technology at the 40-year-old facility. The first phase had involved the installation of safety fences, clearing parts of the site and creating a new access road.
About 2,000 people signed an online petition against the project in a campaign backed by Holywood star Dame Helen Mirren who was married in the village.
