By Mike Donachie

A COUNCILLOR has been left “astounded” after his colleagues voted through a hugely controversial quarry plan for land next to the T In The Park site at Kinross— without even discussing it.

Residents are convinced they now face 12 years of dust, noise and heavy goods traffic as applicants D. Geddes (Contractors) extract almost two million tonnes of sand and gravel from the site at Balado.

Mike Barnacle’s impassioned plea to Wednesday’s meeting of Perth and Kinross Council’s development control committee fell on deaf ears. His fellow committee members failed to second his motion to dismiss the plans.

In fact, they were even unwilling to take part in a debate, simply waving it through as it was “rubber-stamped”—leading Mr Barnacle to walk out in disgust.

The elected members did not discuss such issues as formal objections from 24 immediate neighbours, or the fact—recognised in the planners’ report—that Perth and Kinross already has a full supply of sand and gravel for the next 10 years. The new Geddes supply will be sold outwith the area.

In addition, the report spoke of “proximity to houses, visibility from a major road and the change to the landscape character of the area.”

Mr Barnacle reminded the committee that a similar application for a sandstone quarry near Blairingone was refused—a decision upheld at appeal just this week.

Traffic issues had been a major factor in the Blairingone refusal, but the Balado plans involve 10 times as many lorry trips.

He also warned a planned upgrade of access across the Forth at Kincardine Bridge is likely to exacerbate the growing problems in the area, which also include speeding drivers.

Despite his presentation against the Balado quarry and a lengthy council report describing its implications, Mr Barnacle was the only committee member to say a word on the plans.

Speaking as a ward councillor, he said after the meeting, “This is a big application for Kinross-shire. There are significant issues around it.

“Quite frankly, I believe my concerns regarding the road issue are clearly not given any credence at all by other councillors and not seen as particularly important.

“I’m angry that there was no debate. It was rubber-stamped without even discussing it.

“I think my concerns about the speed of traffic at that locus and the number of lorry issues are well-founded.”

Mr Barnacle was especially upset by one comment in the council report, which suggested the A977 Kinross to Kincardine Bridge road, on to which the quarry traffic will have direct access, “has ample spare capacity”—an idea locals and their councillor strongly deny.

This assertion ignores the potentially disastrous effect of any changes at Kincardine Bridge, Mr Barnacle insisted.

He continued, “Residents of Balado feel badly let down by their councillors. We can accept losing a planning discussion if the merits are looked at—I’ve had to accept that on many occasions—but to have no debate at all on a quite substantial application, quite frankly, astounds me.

“The body language of those councillors suggested to me that they had made up their minds before they even went into the meeting.”