LISTEN: Hollywood star joins Ardersier fight against water giant
Helen Mirren in "absolute horror" over Ardersier sewage plans
A campaign to fight Scottish Water's expansion of sewage works at Ardersier is intensifying, after a Hollywood star lends her support to residents.
Dame Helen Mirren has released a statement in support of almost 1,500-people who are backing an online petition to stop the water firm's expansion of the existing waste-water-treatment facility.
The company's bosses say they do have planning permission, after following the required process back in 2010/2011 - which included talking to the community council.
Drew Hendry is the MP for the area, and he's sat down with concerned residents to hear their fears about potential impact to wildlife, to tourism, and to village life.
He told MFR News: "What is absolutely clear is that there are a great number of people in the village who feel that there are a great number of questions which haven't been answered properly, and they haven't been given the opportunity to engage fully on this.
LISTEN: MFR News reporter Bryan Rutherford says MP Drew Hendry has met residents, and Dame Helen Mirren is lending her support to them too...
"There are a range of questions about the environment, about the traffic disruption that will happen, about the effect on tourism, and about the quality of life in the village during and after the construction phase.
"The system hasn't really caught those people who are most concerned about these issues, and we need to make sure that those genuine fears, those concerns that people have living locally are addressed, fully and completely.
"If anything is to go ahead, it's absolutely vital that people have the feeling that they've had these questions answered; that their fears have been allayed; otherwise the project will always be mired in that difficulty".
The campaign's been further uplifted after Dame Helen Mirren wrote about her "absolute horror" at learning of Scottish Water's intentions.
The Hollywood star, who got married in Ardersier, says if the village was one of the famed beauty spots of Scotland, then there would be "huge outcry against Scottish Water's plans."
She fears they will negatively impact on Ardersier which she claims "is quietly where the real Scotland is."
Next week Highland MSPs are meeting with Scottish Water to discuss with the firm whether Ardersier is the right place for this development to support the Highland's growing population.