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Scottish Government rejects appeal over controversial Muirtack quarry plans

The proposed site at Muirtack near Ellon.
The proposed site at Muirtack near Ellon.

The Scottish Government has rejected an appeal from a developer hoping to build a new north-east quarry.

Members of the Buchan area committee voted against the proposals for a mineral extraction site at Muirtack in May 2018.

Local authority planning officials recommended the Chap Group’s vision to run the quarry for up to 15 years should be given the go ahead, but councillors disagreed.

The proposed scheme proved controversial with those living around the site and a petition against the development has attracted 311 names.

There were also 84 objections lodged citing concerns over the road network, wildlife, noise and dust and air pollution.

Chap Group took their case to the Scottish Government in the hope that ministers would reverse the decision made last year.

The company had argued the quarry was needed to boost sand and gravel stocks for the north-east building industry.

But Scottish Government Reporter Elspeth Cook said the risks associated with the quarry outweighed by the benefits.

She said: “The addition of 631,000 tonnes of sand and gravel to the land bank equates to an estimated one to two years supply in the Aberdeen market area but this is intended to be extracted over a period of 8 to 15 years.

“In these circumstances, I am not satisfied that the economic benefits arising from the provision of this additional reserve outweigh the risks to road safety, and the associated impacts on the local community, arising over such a prolonged period.”