Moray distillery gets go-ahead to expand

Glenfarclas Distillery has been given permission this morning to build two additional warehouses.

Moray Council granted planning permission for the warehouses which, together, will provide storage for an extra 2500 casks at the site in Ballindalloch.

The motion was passed without a vote, but not before some discussion took place.

Councillor Claire Feaver (Forres, Conservative) questioned why planning officers were recommended the application.

She pointed out that the council had recently classed the area as a special landscape area of the Spey valley.

The reply from officers came that it was "an acceptable departure" as the buildings were a "low-profile design" which "nestled" into the landscape.

Cllr Sonya Warren (Buckie, SNP) said: "I welcome this application. Everything that Glenfarclas do is usually sympathetic to the landscape."

Councillor John Cowe (Heldon and Laich, Independent) agreed.

He said: "I know the distillery well. I used to take my own foreign customers there.

"It's a traditional business.

"They gather huge amounts of tourists in and are a huge bonus to the local economy."

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