Quarry extension plans rejected

Roseanna Cunningham said members had listened to local concerns

Plans to extend a quarry site in Perthshire have been knocked back by Perth and Kinross Council.

Despite being recommended for approval by the authority's planners, elected members on the development control panel voted against the proposal.

Quarry company McCaig had wanted to extract sand and gravel from a 1.7 hectare site at Braco Castle Farm.

The decision was met with relief by many in the local community who campaigned against the proposals.

The quarry was previously opened to supply materials used in the construction of the nearby Braes of Doune windfarm.

'Compelling arguments'

Councillors rejected the plan citing concerns about its environmental impact and road access issues to the site.

Welcoming the decision, the SNP's Roseanna Cunningham MSP said members of the panel had chosen to heed local concerns rather than official advice.

She added: "The community of Braco made it very clear that they did not want this development to go ahead in the form proposed and the made their case strenuously and effectively."

Local Labour MP Gordon Banks said councillors had reached the correct conclusion in rejecting the proposals.

He added: "The local community put forward a very strong case to show how this extraction facility would negatively impact their lives and I believe the compelling arguments put forward at the committee and indeed before show that in this case, the decision making process has been appropriately implemented despite, the activities of Perth and Kinross Council over the last 18 months."