Contentious proposal for rock aggregate quarry near Newmachar to go back before councillors
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Controversial plans to form a rock aggregate quarry near Newmachar will be assessed by councillors again on Tuesday.
JKR Contractors has applied to Aberdeenshire Council to create the site east of Newton of Rainnieshill Cottage near Beauty Hill.
It will be scrutinised by the Formartine area committee during its meeting on Tuesday morning.
The proposal has proved to be contentious with the local authority receiving 189 objections to it, including a petition with 743 signatures. There have also been 135 representations of support.
One of the objectors is East Garioch Councillor Jim Gifford who lives near to the site.
The council's planning department has recommended that the application be granted.
The quarry would measure approximately 9.2 hectares and be located in the countryside near to Newmachar and Kingseat. It would lie on the western slope of Beauty Hill, which is a local point of interest.
The proposed quarry has been subject to geological investigation and contains proven resources of rock capable of producing a range of good quality aggregates.
The development will allow for the extraction of 500,000 tonnes of rock, with an output of 30,000 to 60,000 tonnes per annum, averaging at 40,000 tonnes per annum. The maximum extraction is 138 metres above ordnance datum and the operational lifespan of the quarry is approximately 12-13 years.
The planned hours of operation of the quarry are 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays.
The plans were discussed at the meeting of the Garioch area committee on April 19 in order to seek members’ views on the plans as it will have an impact on that area.
Councillors agreed to recommend to the Formartine area committee that it refuse full planning permission.
Their reasons were there would be a significant and demonstrable adverse impact on the landscape given the prominence of the site. There would be an unacceptable and detrimental adverse impact on the amenity of neighbouring properties given their proximity to the access and the site. Also that the principle of development has not been established given the limited information about current reserves. Therefore, the need for the application has not been demonstrated.
The committee outlined that the benefits of the development are therefore outweighed by the significant and demonstrable adverse impacts on landscape and amenity.
Formartine councillors initially assessed the application during their meeting on June 14.
They deferred it so a site visit could be carried out and to obtain information on school bus routes and the confirmation of the status of a nearby water pipe.
The site visit was carried out on July 19, during which questions took place. The questions related to views of consultees regarding impacts of the development on Old Aberdeen Road; the proposed depth of quarry and the distance from the eastern site boundary to the escarpment.
Other questions were on the landscape and visual impact assessment report graphs; the description and capability of infrastructure following the right turn upon exit from the proposed site access and the enforceability of the proposed route plan.
In the report that will go back before councillors on Tuesday the council's planning department has recommended the application be approved.
It states: "Overall, the proposed development is acceptable in principle under Policy PR1 Protecting important resources, in that there will be no significant impact on Prime Agricultural Land or Ground Water Dependent Terrestrial Ecosystems (GWTDE), and the proposal will not sterilise the mineral resource.
"The application is acceptable in principle under Policy R3 Minerals and hill tracks, in that the applicant has provided sufficient justification for the need for the development.
"In conjunction, detailed reports have been provided which suitably demonstrate the appropriateness and viability of the proposed management and mitigation measures relating to the visual impacts and impacts on amenity, access, drainage, water management, habitat and wildlife protection, restoration and after care.
"There are no significant impacts akin to any of the aforementioned issues and the proposal is compliant with all other relevant policies of the Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan 2017.
"In assessing the proposed development against the wider policies of Scottish Planning Policy and the LDP 2017 and any other material considerations, there were no adverse impacts which would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of the proposal."
The issues outlined by the objectors are the suitability of road infrastructure; concerns about the impacts on infrastructure from blasting; concerns about overlooking and the impact on privacy; and the impacts of dust on air quality, public health and wellbeing. Newmachar Community Council and Udny Community Council have both objected to the plans.
In the representations of support their reasons for backing it include the development will support local jobs and businesses; it will support economic recovery as there is a lack of trade materials in Scotland; the enhancement of biodiversity through restoration; and the scale of the quarry is not large enough to cause disturbance.
If there is a difference of opinion between the area committees the application will go before the council's infrastructure services committee.
