A quarry in Edinburgh has been denied permission to expand over concerns about the impact on locals.
The Bonnington Mains quarry, which sits just south of the junction of the M8 and M9 in Newbridge, had applied for planning permission to expand in fields to the southwest.
Council officers recommended that planning permission be granted, but a majority of Edinburgh’s development sub committee voted against it.
Owned by construction materials firm Breedon, the quarry opened in the early 1990s, with a period of closure through the 2010s.
Bosses at the firm told councillors that they wanted to open a material recycling site on the premises, and use products from it to fill in the quarry when it closes.
But some locals said they did not believe their plans were feasible.
One objector told councillors: “We believe that this resource is best kept in the ground at this time. This will, for a historic amount of time, be a massive cavity in the ground.
“It will be restored some way by reclamation, but it will not be restored to farmland. We will not get this hole in the ground taken away.”
Respondents and councillors also raised concerns about the impact of the expanded quarry on the local area, as well as the increased road traffic it could cause.
Councillors eventually voted eight to three against approving the expansion of the quarry.
The decision stood in contrast to another one later in the day, where the same councillors approved the expansion of the Ravelrig quarry west of Balerno.
SNP councillor Neil Gardiner, who represents part of the area surrounding the quarry, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Following numerous local objections Ratho residents will be happy that the proposed quarry on the farm field next to Bonnington Mains Quarry was rejected at the Development Management Subcommittee.
“This field is not identified for mineral extraction in the City Plan 2030 and has protections as a countryside area.
“The Ratho Community also has concerns about the current quarry.”
By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency. It is funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector (in Edinburgh that is Reach plc (the publisher behind Edinburgh Live and The Daily Record) and used by many qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover news about top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.
