Appeal is a blow for Gillies Hill protesters
Campaigners committed to protecting Cambusbarron’s treasured Gillies Hill have been dealt a blow with the latest twist in the planning process.
Patersons Quarries have submitted an appeal against Stirling Council’s recent decision to reject plans for an access track from Polmaise Road to the hill’s dormant Murrayshall Quarry.
The Save Gillies Hill group believe Patersons’ access proposals would lead to the destruction of woodland and wildlife and bring HGVS emitting fumes to Stirling city roads.
Patersons’ latest plans had attracted a 455-signature petition in opposition.
Save Gillies Hill chairman and treasurer Iain Munro said this week: “Patersons’ move doesn’t come as any surprise, but it’s still disappointing.
“Any revival of quarrying at Murrayshall would have a devastating impact on the environment, as well as road safety and residents’ health and welfare – not only in the Cambusbarron area, but Stirling in general.
“This comes as government and local authorities are attempting to meet a new and improved environment for all. For example, the Scottish Government’s Environment Strategy for Scotland.”
In July Stirling councillors refused the access from Polmaise Road to the south east of the quarry on the grounds of increased noise and a drop in air quality impacting on residents, as well as road safety concerns. It was further pointed out that tree loss would be “significant” and contrary to the local development plan.
A previous planning application, submitted in the mid 2010s, proposing to extract about 300,000 tonnes of rock a year from the hill’s dormant Murrayshall
Quarry, was not determined by Stirling Council and later turned down by a Scottish Government Reporter on appeal.
In 2017 campaigners had thought the dismissal of the firm’s appeal against the council’s failure to determine plans to resume quarrying had called a halt to the matter.
But the latest access road plans, lodged in late 2018 – following an application for a review of old mineral permissions – once again raised the prospect of the resumption of quarrying.
A Stirling Council spokesperson said this week: “We acknowledge the appeal and will respond through the appropriate process.”
Patersons lodged their appeal to the Scottish Government’s Planning and Environmental Appeals Division at the end of October.
Those interested in making representations on the matter have until Friday, November 27.
The Observer contacted Patersons about the appeal, but they did not wish to make any comment.
At the appeals hearing held in Cambusbarron in December 2016, over the council’s non determination of the quarry plans, villagers expressed fears about pedestrian safety in light of the likely amount of lorry traffic from the quarry.
Patersons had said they had markets for the rock in the Stirling and Falkirk area and claimed further quarrying would yield economic benefits
However, Scottish Government
Reporter Richard 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.”