Landowner facing penalty fine

Angus Council chiefs are to serve a fixed penalty fine on an Angus landowner over breach of planning enforcement.

Stephen Mellor has been at loggerheads with the authority since he was served with enforcement notices at the end of January last year.

The action required him to reinstate filter beds and remove various items from land at Gagie Filters, near Kellas.

The rare breeds farmer said an access row with a neighbour had prevented him from carrying out the works.

He previously told the council’s development standards committee he would need “no more than 48 hours” to do what was necessary.

The site stretches to about 2.2 hectares to the north of Easterton of Gagie Farm. It was formerly used for filter beds that were part of an aqueduct system supplying water to Dundee.

The three beds, a gate pier, wall and a further pier, together with the walls and a narrow gauge railway, were all category B-listed in 1991.

In the latest report to members of the development standards committee, council officials said regular site visits had shown there had been little progress on the works.

“A further site visit was undertaken on March 29. No further progress beyond that observed on February 12 was evident,” said the report.

“Direct action may be pursued if the requirements of the notice remain unmet.”