Fife quarry lifespan extended by nine years after operator's plea
Clatchard Quarry, near Newburgh, was due to cease operations next year. But its owner, British construction materials giant Breedon, has succeeded in making the case for extending its permit to mine the quarry until 2031.
In the final year of operation, Breedon has committed to filling in and restoring the site, as required by law, and thereafter providing three years of aftercare. Its plans include planting new trees and filling in the quarry void to create a manmade lake.
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Hide AdIn a justification statement submitted to the local authority last October, Breedon said there was still more than a megatonne of materials to be extracted from the area where it had been permitted to dig, blaming the effects of the 2008 financial crisis for the delay in extraction.
It did not anticipate increasing levels of production beyond the current maximum level of around 200,000 tonnes each year, and will follow its existing operating hours.
"The proposed development would provide continued long-term employment for the existing workforce and indirect employment through the use of local firms for supplies, maintenance and specialist support," the firm said.
"The proposal is also beneficial as the payment of business rates to the local authority feeds directly into local services. Accordingly it is considered that the proposal represents a net benefit to the Fife economy."
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Hide AdPlanning officer Martin McGroarty, responsible for deciding the application, ruled it would make sense to extend the current permit rather than require Breedon to look elsewhere for new sources of material.
Recommending approval of the plan, he wrote in his handling report: "The requested variations are deemed to be appropriate to achieve the outcome sought and no objections or concerns have been raised to the proposals from consultees."
Clatchard Craig has been in operation as a quarry since the 1940s, with its most recent owner purchasing the site in the 1990s. The aggregate materials Breedon obtains from the pit are largely used to build roads, but it also sells loose crushed rocks for use by the construction industry.