Reporter turns down Gillies Hill quarry plan
Campaigners in celebratory mood after lengthy battle
Campaigners bidding to save Gillies Hill from further quarrying were celebrating this week.
Following a hard-fought battle, a Scottish Government planning reporter rejected an appeal by Patersons Quarries Ltd against the failure of Stirling Council to determine a planning application by the company to resume quarrying on the hill.
Reporter Richard Dent also refused planning permission for further quarrying on grounds of impact of traffic noise and the unsuitability of the road access
The company claimed further quarry would yield economic benefits but Mr Dent concluded they were outweighed by the adverse impact of the operation, adding: “It was the unacceptable environmental effects of the traffic on Polmaise Road between the site access and the Torbrex over-bridge and the impacts on residential amenity that led me to conclude the proposal should not be granted planning permission.”
In response to the appeal, more than 1000 people submitted objections, and there were petitions against the proposal signed by several thousand people. In the vanguard of the opposition was Cambusbarron Community Council, villagers and the Save Gillies Hill group.
SGH Group spokesman Marion MacAllister said: “We thank everyone who has helped us – from all over the world -as we celebrate this achievement.
“There are people to thank from as far away as California where one of our stalwart supporters lives, but local shops and business, as well as our residents, have always helped the cause. We have many to thank and hope they share our pride in this achievement at this time.”
Gillies Hill is home to an ancient woodland and is said to be the site where Robert the Bruce stationed the Ghillies before of the Battle of Bannockburn. They are said to have played a significant role in the Scots’ victory.
Paterson’s Quarries initially applied for planning permission to Stirling Council. However the council refused to make a decision on the application and it was automatically sent to the independent reporter for consideration. A hearing was held in Cambusbarron in December at which villagers expressed fears about pedestrian safety in light of the amount of lorry traffic from the quarry,
The company proposed to extract, over a period of up to 12 years, about 300,000 tonnes of rock a year from the existing Murrayshall Quarry. No fewer than 30,000 lorry movements a year would have been required to truck away material from the quarry. The company said they had markets for the rock in the Stirling and Falkirk area.
Lorries would have used Polmaise Road, King’s Park Road, Victoria Place and Queens Road, Dumbarton Road, and Raploch Road to get to the M9.
In his report, Mr Dent accepted the residents’ argument concerning lorry traffic. he said: “My over-riding concern is the poor standard of Polmaise Road between the Torbrex over-bridge and the site access.
“In my opinion, the need to use this section road clearly indicates that the proposal does not represent the right development in the right place.”
Stirling MP Steven Paterson, who is from Cambusbarron and campaigned against the quarry application, described the reporter’s decision as a “real win for the community.”
As a Stirling councillor, he tabled a motion in 2014 calling for the Gillies Hill site to be designated a local nature reserve which would help protect it from further attempts to carry out quarrying.
“Gillies Hill is a site of outstanding natural beauty as well as historical significance,” he added. “Cambusbarron Community Council, along with many others involved, made a compelling case to reject this attempt to re-open quarrying activity on Gillies Hill. I hope that Stirling Council will now move to ensure that this site is properly protected so that never again will it be met by the threat of further quarrying activity.”
Conservative councillor for Stirling West Neil Benny added: “The fact that the planners have said no to this application is fantastic and the hill that we have all fought hard to protect is safe for another day but we still have a lot of work to do to protect Gillies Hill in the long term.”
Stirling Council environment convenor Danny Gibson added: “I’m sure this decision will be warmly welcomed by the Cambusbarron community.”
Patersons declined to comment on the outcome of the appeal. ●Save Gilles Hill are holding a get-together to celebrate the reporter’s decision. It will take place on Friday, February 17, in Cambusbarron Bowling Club from 7pm. Those wishing to attend are urged to bring food/ dishes for the supper table.