Rural Moray community near Elgin fighting to stop development of quarry amid noise, dust and traffic concerns
RESIDENTS of a rural Moray community say their peaceful way of life will be destroyed if a proposed quarry gets the go-ahead.
Plans for the quarry are being led by Aberdeen-based business Leiths.
If the proposal is successful it will see the development of an industrial scale sand and gravel quarry next to the community of Birnie and Thomshill located just a few miles south of Elgin.
The proposed site for the quarry is currently home to a pig farm and the land is owned by local farmer Bill Mustard.
But locals have raised concerns and have claimed that if it does go ahead they will be subjected to near constant noise, plumes of dust and an increase in traffic that the area cannot cope with.
Around 60 locals voiced these concerns at a consultation event with developers on March 19.
Among them was Colin McCarthy who lives just a few metres away from the proposed site.
Mr McCarthy has lived there for nearly 20 years alongside his wife Angie who suffers from a chronic illness.
They bought the property to bring their kids up in a quiet area with plenty of green space to relax in but they’re worried that the introduction of a quarry on their doorstep will ruin the long-time family home.
Mr McCarthy said: “I was actually gobsmacked that a quarry can be put in place so close to residential properties.
“If it goes ahead, it will be going five and half days a week, nearly 12 hours a day on week days and a half day on the Saturday.
“It’s not going to be the decibels of the noise as such, it’s going to be the constant noise of machinery.
“That’s just going to drive us insane so noise will be a big issue.”
Concerns have also been raised regarding dust which locals believe will be blown across the area from the quarry.
The major concern is silica dust which has been associated with elevated rates of lung cancer.
Mr McCarthy has major worries about the potential health implications of this dust given his wife’s condition.
“At the consultation event, they used words like “negligible” when we asked about the possible impact on health,” Mr McCarthy said.
“That isn’t none so it would be detrimental and I think a lot of our neighbours will be in the same boat.”
Moray Archery is located just 50 metres from the proposed site.
Andrew Kelly, the club’s founder, moved out to the area nearly 10 years ago to build a competition standard range next to his house.
But if the quarry is built, the club’s future could be put in jeopardy.
Mr Kelly said: “We would never have moved here if we knew this may go ahead.
“It’s a really open area and the proposed site is a really open site. We’re just thinking what that will be like when it’s windy and there is bare sand.
“It wouldn’t affect our club nights but it will affect our running of competitions.
“We start them at 9am on Saturdays and Sundays and they run to 6pm on each day.
“If the quarry is operating on the Saturday we’ll have noise and that’s not conducive to competition.
“We’ve got safety signals to start and stop shooting and so with all that noise that would be a safety concern.
“If that’s the case then we can’t run competitions and through all that we’re going to get dust as well.
“We’ve spent nine and a half years building this up but you start to think what the point was.
“Our house is right next to the range as well so what was the dream of living out here in the countryside could become the nightmare of living next to an industrial estate.
“If it goes ahead, it's like a life sentence for us and our house because it will be there for over 20 years.
“We’d never be able to sell the house.”
Locals have been busy gathering evidence to back up their concerns after being notified of the proposal on February 7 this year.
A traffic survey was conducted on March 21 by some residents to assess how busy the road through the community currently is.
They say the area is ill-equipped to deal with anymore traffic.
Local businessman Ronnie Gillespie has lived in the area for over 30 years and is among those with concerns about extra traffic through the community.
He said: “The amount of traffic that’s on the road already is unbelievable.
“Leiths say there will be 18 of their lorries but that’s just their lorries.
“What about all customers going to buy sand or concrete?
“There will be a lot more than just 18 lorries on top of what there already is.
“The area isn’t equipped for all this traffic.”
Iain Allan, a chartered accountant living in Thomshill, added: “They fail to understand how the already challenged C class Birnie road into Elgin can ever possibly cope with the additional burden of a daily minimum 18 HGV quarry truck movements.”
Mr Gillespie is also worried about the potential impact on his auto repair business.
He says that customers may go elsewhere if the quarry is given the green light.
“Our customers’ cars will get covered in dust,” he said.
“We’ll then have to wash them and a lot of people are really picky about washing their cars.
“If we go to wash the car and it’s scratched we’ll end up having to paint the car for the customer.
“That’s not to mention the road and things falling off trucks going into Elgin.
“People won’t want to drive out to us anymore.”
The planning application for the quarry is in the pre-planning consultation stage.
And Leiths say that the concerns of residents are being taken into consideration in the development of their plans.
Colin Ortlepp, Planning and Development Manager, said: “Leiths are currently undertaking pre-application consultation with the local community regarding our proposed new sand and gravel quarry at Dykeside Farm near Elgin.
“All comments received are being carefully reviewed.
“Concerns raised, including those noted in respect of noise, dust and road traffic, will be taken into account in the development of the quarrying plans which will be the subject of a planning application in due course.”
Residents say they will submit their objections to Moray Council when the application goes into planning.
They hope to stop the application there and then.
Mr Kelly added: “It’s a bit of a David and Goliath fight when you’re fighting big companies.
“But the village and the community is well behind getting the quarry stopped.”
