Councillors scrutinise plans for rock aggregate quarry near Newmachar
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A contentious application to create a quarry to extract rock aggregate on the outskirts of Newmachar has been assessed by the Garioch area committee.
The proposal was submitted by JKR Contractors through agent Johnson Poole and Bloomer for the major development east of Newton of Rainnieshill Cottage.
Aberdeenshire Council has received 189 objections, including a petition with 743 signatures, and 135 representations of support to the plans.
The local authority's planning service has recommended that the application be approved as it is compliant with its relevant policies.
During their meeting on Tuesday, Garioch councillors were asked to provide their preliminary views to the Formartine area committee for its consideration when determining the application.
If there is a difference of opinion between the area committees the proposal will then be referred to the council's infrastructure services committee.
In the report that went before councillors on Tuesday from planning officer Roslyn Purdie it outlined that the quarry measures approximately 9.2 hectares and is located in the countryside near to Newmachar and Kingseat. It lies on the western slope of Beauty Hill, which is a local point of interest.
The report outlines: "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 proposed 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 council's planning department has recommended that the application be granted as it is acceptable in principle under the policy of protecting important resources, in that there will be no significant impact on prime agricultural land and it will not sterilise the mineral resource.
It said that the application is also acceptable in principle under the policy for minerals and hill tracks, as the applicant has provided sufficient justification for the need for the development.
The report added: "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 aftercare."
The council received 189 objections to the application whose issues include concerns about 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.
There were 135 representations of support whose reasons for backing it included 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.
The area committee meeting heard from six objectors including Mid-Formartine councillor Jim Gifford who lives just over 350 metres east of the proposed site.
He told the meeting: "The amenity of our property will be adversely affected should this application be allowed to proceed.
"Councillors this quarry will be an ugly scar on the west side of Beauty Hill facing Nemachar and Kingseat.
"It will be far too close to our house and several other houses and should be refused to protect the amenity of our homes and protect everybody else living in the surrounding areas."
After deliberation councillor Martin Ford submitted a motion and said: "My motion would be that the Garioch area committee recommend that the application be refused. That would be our recommendation to the Formartine area committee and the reasons we would give for that is that it is a prominent site and therefore it would have an unacceptable adverse impact on the landscape.
"Principally because of its location as it is in an elevated position visible from a great distance around about.
"The second reason for refusal would be that the proposal, if it went ahead, would have a drastic and unacceptable impact on the amenity of residents in the vicinity of the development.
"My further reason why we should recommend refusal is based on the figures that we have been supplied have not demonstrated that there is a need for the development as figures suggest that an adequate supply of rock aggregate is available from already consented sites."
Councillor Lesley Berry seconded the motion and the views will now be submitted to the Formartine area committee for when it considers the application.
