Plans for a multi-million-pound residential development at a notorious Fife quarry have been refused for a second time.
Councillors ruled little had changed since they rejected the housing plan for Prestonhill Quarry, in Inverkeithing, three years ago.
A subsequent appeal to the Scottish Government also failed.
DDR (UK) Ltd wanted to build 180 houses, self-catering holiday accommodation and a cafe.
Three people, including two teenagers, have died while swimming or diving at the quarry since 2014.
And the developers argued filling in the water-filled void would improve safety and reduce anti-social behaviour.
However, members of Fife Council’s west and central planning committee said the development’s impact on Inverkeithing‘s character outweighed the safety concerns.
Inverkeithing quarry used for diving and fire service training
More than 100 people objected to the planning application.
They said the Inverkeithing quarry is a well-used recreation area which should not be developed for housing.
It attracts diving clubs from across Scotland and is also used for fire service and Royal Navy training.
Planning officer Natasha Cockburn said those activities are not officially permitted on the site.
“It’s not a diving facility. It’s a quarry pond that’s under the ownership of someone else,” she said.
Ms Cockburn told the committee the plan involved draining the pond and regrading the cliff faces to make them less steep.
Forty-five of the 180 houses were to be affordable.
And the holiday accommodation would have been placed in the top of the site to maximise views across the Firth of Forth.
Concerns outweigh £40m economic benefit
Ms Cockburn said the Prestonfied Quarry plan would generate more than £40 million for the Fife economy during and after construction.
Other benefits, she said, included re-routing the coastal path closer to the sea.
A pier for leisure boats and the rebuilding of the Beamer Rock Lighthouse were also proposed.
However, councillors’ concerns included traffic accessing the site via narrow Inverkeithing streets and the fact the development meant Inverkeithing and Dalgety Bay would almost be joined together.
Put to the vote, the application was refused by six votes to five.
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