Plans for a 90-hectare sand and gravel quarry in Angus are set to be lodged.
The pre-application consultation process with the local community took place earlier in the year.
D. Geddes (Contractors) Ltd, of Arbroath, are now preparing to submit a formal planning application to Angus Council for the development on land to the south-east of Edzell Wood.
The proposal is to work the site over about 35 years, which will provide “a continuity of employment and supply of material”.
This site is seen as a replacement for the operation at Stannochy near Brechin.
Rob Latimer of environmental consultants Dalgleish Associates said: “The consultation process was undertaken earlier in the year and we are now in the process of finalising assessments.
“We anticipate the application to be ready for submission towards the end of September.”
A significant level of baseline data has already been compiled in order to inform the design of the proposal.
This ensures there are no issues in relation to the environment, including public amenity, which might preclude the development of the site.
The application boundary extends to some 90 hectares, of this a total of around 65 hectares shall be subject to sand and gravel extraction over the lifetime of the site.
Sand and gravel extraction and restoration is undertaken sequentially over the site so that no more than around 10% of the land shall be affected at any time, this includes the area to be used for processing of materials throughout the life of the operation.
The site is currently in agricultural use and will be restored to this land use progressively, as the operations move across the site.
The proposal is to work the site over around 35 years, providing continuity of employment and supply of material into the region’s landbank.
This site represents a strategic location for the Geddes Group in the north of Angus and is seen as a replacement for their operation at Stannochy.
The nature of employment at the site is not known at present.
However, the applicants say that whether these are new jobs or the retention of existing staff, this employment is clearly valuable in the long term, but particularly now in the current economic climate.
Typically an operation of this nature only requires a few full-time positions however, it is widely accepted there are significant employment “multipliers” effectively supporting additional jobs associated with the operation and within the wider community.
The sand and gravel from this site will be suitable for a wide variety of uses within the construction industry.
The site access will be taken along the route of an existing forest track through Edzell Wood onto the B966.
This will require upgrading but by using this route the effect on the woodland will be minimised.
Photo used under a Creative Commons licence courtesy of Flickr user iluvrhinestones.