Company seeking to double the lifespan of Kinross-shire quarry

Firm claims there is still more than a million tonnes of material at the site to be extracted

Operations at a Kinross-shire quarry could be extended by more than a decade if planning officials give it the green light.

D Geddes Ltd has applied to continue working the Balado Quarry, claiming there is still 1.1 million tonnes of sand and gravel to be extracted from the site.

If approved by Perth and Kinross Council, the plans would double the lifespan of the site. Planning permission for operations was granted for an 11-year period in August 2006.

The firm claim they overestimated demand for the material when first making the application, meaning they would have emptied it more quickly.

Coupled with the recession it meant they had not exploited the full site within the original time scale.

When the excavations are completed, the firm says it will turn the ground into a wildlife haven.

In a report to be put before the council, the company states: “Since commencement of operations in 2006, Balado Quarry has supplied sand and gravel into the local and wider market area. The quarry serves a general market radius of up to 30 miles.

“While the current planning consent for Balado Quarry expired on August 22 2017 there are still some 10 years of aggregate reserves within the planning permission area which remain to be extracted.

“This is partially due to an over estimation of the potential market demand prior to submission of the application in 2004 and partially due to the economic recession which saw a downturn in demand between 2008 and 2014.

“Accordingly, the application for planning permission relates to an extension in the duration of operations at Balado Quarry to provide sufficient time to allow the extraction of the full consented mineral reserve.

“The proposal allows for the extraction of the remaining reserve, the continued processing of sand and gravel and the final restoration of the site. No operational changes are proposed to the existing consented operations.”

The application will be considered by planning officials before a decision is made.

There are still some 10 years of aggregate reserves within the planning permission area which remain to be extracted

Picture: Kim Cessford. The 11-year planning consent for the Geddes Group sand and gravel quarry in Balado expired on August 22.