Plans to demolish Arrochar weapons store undecided
PROPOSALS to demolish buildings a weapons storage site near Loch Long have been left undecided.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) applied to Argyll and Bute Council in January to demolish 16 buildings at the Glen Douglas munitions depot.
The facility, which was built more than 60 years ago, covers 650 acres and has been considered the largest weapons storage site in Western Europe.
The depot was built between 1962 and 1966 and was created for NATO munitions storage, but it is now only used by the MoD.
The RAF and British Army have also used the stores.
It has been used to store ammunition for vessels at Faslane, and to replenish surface ships via the jetty at Glen Mallan on the east shore of Loch Long.
In the planning application, it states that the buildings have “exceeded their life expectancy and are no longer in use”.
However, the MoD said that due to the sensitive nature of the site, the total number of buildings at the site building numbers could not be shared.
The MoD says in the formal planning application: “There are 16 buildings within DM Glen Douglas which require to be demolished, but there are currently no plans to redevelop the land.”
The MoD said it would carry out ecology surveys ahead of demolition, with any asbestos discovered to be handled appropriately.
Power and water will be disconnected, and all buildings demolished to ground slab with land top-soiled and seeded where required.
The application was given a determination deadline of Wednesday, February 21, according to Argyll and Bute Council’s website.
But while the same site states that a decision was made on Tuesday, March 5, it also describes the decision as an ‘undetermined application’.
To view the plans, visit the council’s online planning portal at argyll-bute. gov.uk and search for the reference number 23/02299/PNDEM.