A major investment by the owners of a controversial Fife quarry will reduce the number of lorries travelling through a village, it has been claimed.
Skene Group, the operator of the Lomond Quarry at Leslie, says the number of HGVs using the main road through the community will drop following a £1 million investment in a new cement plant in Glenrothes.
The move will create six jobs and safeguard a further 35 positions.
Neil Skene, managing director at Skene Group, said: “The company is delighted to announce the investment in the new ready-mix concrete plant that will help boost the local economy with the creation of six new jobs.
“Where at all possible, we employ local labour and sub-contractors, which means the money goes directly into the Fife economy.
“While we remain busy securing contracts in the housing, cargo handling, warehousing and general construction industries, we are continually looking for ways to help improve the environment.
“The new plant is yet another step to making Skene Group a much greener company.”
As a result of the new facility, the company says that lorry loads through Leslie will be reduced noticeably.
The issue has long been a contentious one, with residents having frequently stated their concerns over the number of HGVs travelling through the community.
Located on the north side of Leslie, some residents have also been vocal in their criticism of work at the quarry, including blasting at the site.
Leslie Community Council has had a turbulent relationship with Skene Group but Jan Wincott, chairwoman, welcomed the company’s plans to cut lorry traffic.
“I will be very happy to see a reduction in the HGV traffic through Leslie, especially since most of the quarry traffic travels within three metres of our children’s playpark,” she told The Courier.
“It will be very interesting to see the numbers of HGVs entering and leaving the quarry once the new plant is in operation because residents have reported to me that, at the moment, approximately 40% of the traffic is related to the cement batching operation.”
Local councillor John Wincott has also welcomed the move, saying: “The number of lorries entering and leaving the quarry has been a source of concern to the people of Leslie for a long time now, so if the company is now saying that all of the cement operations will now be moved to their Viewfield site then this is good news for the community. If this results in a genuine reduction in the number of lorries in the town then it can only be beneficial.
“This change was something that I asked for at one of the first liaison committee meetings, after I discovered that planning permission had already been granted for a large cement batching plant in Viewfield, and it seems that the company is now able to fulfil that request.”