The owner of an unauthorised Angus “scrapyard” has been given four months to clean up or face council enforcement.
The site near Arbirlot is in use as a non-commercial storage, and members of Angus Council’s development standards committee approved plans to serve notice if site owner Murray Clark does not tidy up his land.
Strategic director for communities Alan McKeown sought permission to give Mr Clark two months to tidy the site, or ask for planning permission to keep it as a scrapyard.
Mr Clark appeared to give comments to the committee.
He said: I have been in hospital for an operation, plus there’s been the wet weather so it’s been hard-going, but I am full on it now. I would request more than two months to do it, however.”
Councillor Alex King said he believed it would be better to review the state of the land after two months.
“I wouldn’t want to extend the period of grace at this time. I’d like to see clear and demonstrable progress after two months elapsed.
“We’ve been in positions like this before, and have had to step in at considerable cost to the council.”
Committee convener Rob Murray said he thought six months would be a much more reasonable period to allow Mr Clark, which was supported by Councillor Bill Bowles.
However Councillor Bob Spink said he believed six months would be too long a period to let an already lengthy process go on for, which was backed by Councillor Bill Duff.
Mr Murray moved the report would allow Mr Clark a four-month window to clear the land with a progress report to come back to committee after two months.
This was unanimously agreed. Early last year a tip-off was made that the site was being used for the storage of scrap, and was eventually passed to the planning service.