Plans to extend the life of a sand and gravel quarry in Fife until the end of the decade have been lodged with planners.
Angle Park Sand and Gravel Ltd, which has operated the quarry at Mountcastle, off the A92 at Melville Lodges, since 2011, now hopes to extend work at the site for a further eight years.
That would mean the extraction of sand and gravel at the site continuing until the end of 2030.
An existing agreement for the quarry runs out in December this year.
Extra 1.3 million tonnes of reserves
An eight-year extension would allow the firm to move further north of the quarry site to access a further 1.3 million tonnes of reserves.
A design statement submitted to Fife Council said: “The consented reserve forms part of the Fife sand and gravel landbank and is also central to the continuing success of Angle Park, providing continuity of supply and of employment.
“There is clear justification to facilitate the extraction of this material.
To date there have been no complaints in relation to operations.”
“The quarry has been operating in accordance with the approved noise and dust management systems.
“To date there have been no complaints in relation to operations.
“As such, no further assessment of effects on amenity are considered necessary.”
Angle Park Sand and Gravel Ltd has quarried at the Mountcastle site since 2011 after purchasing it a year earlier from Hanson Group.
Extraction taking place at site since 1992
Sand and gravel extraction has been carried out at the site since 1992 after original owner, Pioneer Aggregates, secured the initial permission.
Previous parts of the quarry have since been restored and now form Birnie Loch Nature Reserve.
An application to create a leisure and trout fishing facility at a former part of the Mountcastle site was revealed in 2020.
However Fife Council rejected the plans in November last year.
