Fife quarry firm bids to extend work until 2040

Construction company Skene Group has unveiled plans to extend and revise development at Lomond Quarry near Leslie.

They include extending development permission at the site to 2040, and beginning new mining work.

The new proposal also lays out plans to limit work at the south end of the site, nearest the town, and focus instead on extracting stone and gravels to the north/north-east.

By doing so, the company hopes to develop further away from residents so that future construction does not cause disturbance.

A spokesman for Skene Group said: "By shifting the hard rock extraction towards the north of the site, the work at the quarry will move significantly further away from the village.

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"There will be no changes to traffic volumes, site access, the hours we operate and the amount we can remove each year."

In a planning application to Fife council, environmental consultant, Ironside Farrar, stated: "The plant area and access would remain unchanged but there would be a wider buffer to Leslie and an opportunity to complete early restoration of the boundary."

The environmental consultancy also stated that Skene would extend plans as far forward as 2040 "to allow the reserve to be extracted."

New mining developments are also being suggested with plans for further drilling and site investigation.

Skene has been the operator at the quarry since 1981.

In the past, construction work at the site has met with discontent from locals. Complaints have ranged from high explosive blasts to high levels of vibration and dust.

In recent years, construction work at the site has become notably quieter.

A company spokesman added: "We are proud to have brought jobs and investment to this part of Fife, and to have provided materials for vital infrastructure projects throughout the area.

"Since the quarry was established, our Skene Trust has contributed £20,000 annually for local projects with over £160,000 made available to date.”

The new proposals are at an early stage and an official planning application from the construction company can only be submitted to Fife council as early as October 12.

The public will be able to participate in online consultation hosted by Ironside Farrar from August 19.

They will be given an opportunity to comment, raise issues and ask any questions they may have concerning the plans.

Hannah Brown is the Local Democracy Reporter for Fife and Angus.

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