Edinburgh quarry expansion plan rejected over impact on local residents
A quarry in Edinburgh has been denied permission to expand over concerns about the impact on locals.
The Bonnington Mains quarry, which sits just south of the junction of the M8 and M9 in Newbridge, had applied for planning permission to expand in fields to the southwest.
Council officers recommended that planning permission be granted, but a majority of Edinburgh's development sub committee voted against it.
Owned by construction materials firm Breedon, the quarry opened in the early 1990s, with a period of closure through the 2010s.
Bosses at the firm told councillors that they wanted to open a material recycling site on the premises, and use products from it to fill in the quarry when it closes.
But some locals said they did not believe their plans were feasible.
One objector told councillors: 'We believe that this resource is best kept in the ground at this time. This will, for a historic amount of time, be a massive cavity in the ground.
'It will be restored some way by reclamation, but it will not be restored to farmland. We will not get this hole in the ground taken away.'
Respondents and councillors also raised concerns about the impact of the expanded quarry on the local area, as well as the increased road traffic it could cause.
Councillors eventually voted eight to three against approving the expansion of the quarry.
The decision stood in contrast to another one later in the day, where the same councillors approved the expansion of the Ravelrig quarry west of Balerno.
SNP councillor Neil Gardiner, who represents part of the area surrounding the quarry, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: 'Following numerous local objections Ratho residents will be happy that the proposed quarry on the farm field next to Bonnington Mains Quarry was rejected at the Development Management Subcommittee.
"This field is not identified for mineral extraction in the City Plan 2030 and has protections as a countryside area.
"The Ratho Community also has concerns about the current quarry.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
6 hours ago
- BBC News
New home for young care leavers to be built in Barnsley
A dedicated home is to be built in Barnsley for young adults who are leaving the care House, a former educational facility, will be converted into a five-bedroom residential provision, with four self-contained flats and staff accommodation, councillors have agreed.A £1m refurbishment is expected to begin later this year, with completion of the project and acceptance of its first residents in summer 2026, a meeting well as keeping young people connected to their community, family, and local services, the council said it hoped the project would save over £750,000 per year by reducing its reliance on out-of-borough placements. Currently, many care leavers are placed in these due to a lack of suitable local housing. 'Positive investment' According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a cabinet report noted there were eight young people in care currently awaiting appropriate step-down accommodation - a number which was expected to grow as more prepared for independence.A dedicated team would be recruited to support the residents, offering mentoring, life skills coaching and coordination with social workers and local services, councillors were service would focus on short to medium term stays, allowing residents to gradually transition to fully independent total annual running cost of the facility was expected to be just under £490,000, which the council planned to fund from existing placement budgets, the meeting Rock House was originally earmarked for a children's home in 2021, the shift in use reflects changing priorities under the new Children in Care Placement Sufficiency Strategy adopted in council described the project as a "positive investment" in Barnsley's young people and a practical step towards building sustainable, supportive pathways out of care. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds or catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
8 hours ago
- BBC News
Derelict bungalow in Bradford fetches double sale price
An run-down council-owned building has sold for more than double its asking price, a local authority has said. The one-bedroom bungalow on Park Lane in Bradford was described as "vacant and requiring renovation" and was listed for £48,000. But Bradford Council confirmed it was bought for £102,000 at Pugh Auction. One of the conditions of the sale is the new owner must "renovate the property to a habitable condition" within 12 months or it can be taken back. Bradford Council has a policy of issuing compulsory purchase notices - a legal process that allows certain bodies to acquire land or property without the owner's consent - on long empty properties to bring them back into use by selling them at auction, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. But the low prices often come with certain stipulations. On the listing it said: "In the event of default, the council will have the option to buy back the property. "The buyer will not be able to sell the property whilst the restriction is in place and up until the restriction has been removed with the council's consent." The listing added: "During the renovation period, the buyer is to maintain contact with the council with regards to progress of works. "The buyer is expected to reasonably co-operate with officers to facilitate site inspections."Meanwhile, a semi-detached house filled with rubbish was put up for auction with a guide price of £100,000 last year. A listing for the house in Scott Lane West, suggested while it contained "a large amount of rubbish", once renovated, the property would make "a pleasant family home".It was later sold for £153,000,also by Pugh Auctions. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Scotsman
12 hours ago
- Scotsman
Rachel Reeves: John Swinney SNP independence push playing from 'same tired old playbook'
Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Chancellor Rachel Reeves has blasted John Swinney's latest independence push as playing from 'the same old playbook'. The chancellor also criticised the SNP's tax policy and appeared to suggest the UK Government will not make further pushes to lower US tariffs on Scotch whisky. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Reeves made the comments during a visit to RAF Lossiemouth on Friday, where she highlighted the UK Government's recent investments in defence and clean energy. Chancellor Rachel Reeves | Jane Barlow/Press Association This comes after the First Minister defended his strategy of a majority of SNP MSPs elected at the 2026 Scottish Parliament election as a mandate for a second independence referendum. Speaking to The Scotsman on the RAF Lossiemouth airfield, Ms Reeves said: 'It's just the same old playbook from the SNP. 'They want to talk about the past and the referendum of a decade ago, and we want to move forward and seize the huge opportunities. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I'd rather hear John Swinney talking about how he's going to back jobs in Scotland, how he is going to reduce NHS waiting lists in Scotland, how he is going to improve school and college standards in Scotland - but it's' the same tired old SNP. 'They've only got one playbook, and that's independence. 'I think ordinary people and businesses here in Scotland want to hear what the parties are going to do about reducing NHS waiting lists and seizing the opportunities for growth here in Scotland, and that's what I'm focused on.' First Minister John Swinney | Jane Barlow/Press Association She also criticised the SNP's tax policy, and promised that Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar would reform the tax system if they win next year's election. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The different tax rates between Scotland and England mean anyone earning more than £28,850 pays more tax north of the border than they would elsewhere. Ms Reeves said: 'What the SNP do is tax people on ordinary salaries more than they'd be taxed if they were in England. 'I know that Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, says that if we win the next Holyrood elections, we would reform the tax system because in Scotland people are paying more but getting less, and whilst NHS waiting lists are falling in England and Wales, they are still on the rise in Scotland. 'Despite the record settlement that we gave the Scottish Government, they are taxing more and providing worse services.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Reeves's visit to RAF Lossiemouth comes just days after the Moray military base played host to US President Donald Trump. During his visit to Scotland, the president met with both the First Minister and Ms Reeve's boss Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. During his meeting with the president at Trump International in Aberdeenshire, Mr Swinney made the case for lowering tariffs on Scotch whisky exports to the US. Currently whisky exports face a 10 per cent tariff in the US, costing the industry £4 million a week. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After his meeting, Mr Swinney said there was a 'willingness' from Mr Trump to look at the issue. US President Donald Trump at Trump International earlier in the week. | Press Association During Mr Trump's visit, Mr Sarwar suggested the Prime Minister agreed with the call to exempt Scotch whisky from the 10 per cent tariffs. However, when pressed on the issue the chancellor appeared to suggest she was not willing to make any more pitches to the US Government on whisky tariffs. Ms Reeves said: 'We've got the best trade deal of any country in the world from the US. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We were the first country to get a trade deal, and the announcements around tariffs on other countries around the world, whether that's on the EU or others, are substantially higher. 'So we're in a better position than anyone else in the world, and if you look for example at the trade deal we got with India last week, it sees a halving of tariffs on whisky. 'India is the fastest growing market in the world for Scotch whisky - that is really exciting.' A spokesperson for the Scotch Whisky Association said: "We welcomed Scotch whisky tariffs being raised with President Trump earlier this week. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We're encouraged that the 10 per cent tariff on Scotch whisky in our biggest market – which is costing our industry more than £4m a week in lost exports – remains high on the agenda. 'Given the importance of the Scotch whisky industry to the UK economy, and communities all over Scotland, there is no time for complacency. "We welcomed the India free trade agreement, which will open opportunities for our industry in the longer term, but returning to zero tariff trade with the US would give much needed relief now. 'Our industry is facing significant headwinds both at home and in our markets around the world, impacting our ability to invest. High levels of excise duty here at home are hitting businesses hard and it's vital the chancellor listen to those concerns at the upcoming budget, recognising the wider impact of global and domestic turbulence, and supporting Scotch whisky in its home market." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'The First Minister made the case for tariff exemptions for our world class whisky sector directly with President Trump this week and - at the invitation of the president - intends to make further representations to him on this matter. 'We hope the 10 per cent tariff can be reduced or removed for all relevant products, including whisky, and we will continue to work with the UK Government to ensure all Scotland's interests are represented as the UK-US economic prosperity deal is completed and built upon.
