Decision on rock aggregate quarry near Newmachar deferred for site visit
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Councillors have deferred their decision on contentious plans to form a rock aggregate quarry near Newmachar so a site visit can be carried out.
The proposal, submitted to Aberdeenshire Council from JKR Contractors through agent Johnson Poole and Bloomer, is looking to create the major development on land east of Newton of Rainnieshill Cottage.
The application went before the local authority's Formartine area committee during its meeting on Tuesday.
The council's planning department recommended to the councillors that the application be granted.
The plans have received 189 objections, including a petition which has 743 signatures. There have also been 135 representations of support.
One of the objectors is Councillor Jim Gifford who lives close to the proposed development and has spoken out against it.
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.
In the report that went before councillors it stated: "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 proposal went before the Garioch area committee in April and it recommended to Formartine councillors that it be refused.
Its 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 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 stated the benefits of the development are therefore outweighed by the significant and demonstrable adverse impacts on landscape and amenity.
The council's planning service recommended to the Formartine area committee that the application be approved.
Planning officer Roslyn Purdie told the meeting: "The planning service finds that it suitably demonstrates that the visual impact on the landscape will not be significant by virtue of existing topography, the built environment, soft landscaping and proposed screening and shelter belts."
In her report that was presented to councillors she 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 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 application has received 189 objections whose issues included 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 are 135 representations of support whose 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.
Six objectors spoke during the meeting including Mr Gifford, whose house is just more than 350 metres east of the site. He told the meeting: "The amenity of our property will be adversely affected should this application be allowed to proceed.
"Your will see that our house was one of the noise measurement sites. You will also see that we live in a very quiet place with average readings of 37 decibels.
"We therefore find it pretty incredible that the noise assessment for soil and overburden stripping will be lower than our low background measurements.
"The real noise is the screeching and scarping of steel buckets on hard rock as the stone is extracted and then the loud booms as the rock is dropped into trailers.
"We can see no mention of that in the report or any assessment of what that noise will be when added to the other sounds of diesel engines, generators, rock drills, pumps, stone crushers and screening machines, which will also be operating on the site and possibly all at the same time.
"Quarries make bad neighbours and this one 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 everyone else living in the surrounding area."
Councillor Paul Johnston submitted a motion that a site visit be carried out.
He said: "On this particular occasion a number of items have been raised in the representations where it may have been helpful, and certainly from my perspective, to have had a site visit given the fact that it is a large and complex planning application."
His motion was supported by Councillor Andrew Hassan.
It was outlined that the site visit will help the councillors investigate the issues raised by objectors including the road access, the geography of the locality and for further information on the school bus route that travels through the area and for a pipe that runs under a nearby track.
