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Leslie residents say “mini earthquakes” at Fife quarry are ruining lives

Leslie residents say “mini earthquakes” at Fife quarry are ruining lives

Leslie residents say shockwaves from a neighbouring quarry are damaging their homes and ruining their lives.

For the past year, villagers have been fighting what they describe as a David and Goliath battle against quarry owner Skene Group, which is using explosives to extract the hard volcanic rock dolerite just yards from their homes.

They described the weekly blasts as being like frightening ”mini earthquakes” that shake buildings, cause cracks to appear in walls and scare pets.

One resident even described how a clock fell from a wall during one explosion.

Leslie Community Council chairman John Wincott said blasting was taking place less than 200 metres from homes, when there should be a 500-metre ”buffer zone”.

As the action group marks a year of campaigning, Labour politicians Lindsay Roy MP and councillor Alex Rowley, leader of Fife Council, have stepped in to demand action.

Yvonne Duncan, who leads the 200-strong Lomond Quarry Action Group, said there was growing anxiety about the structural integrity of nearby houses.

”We’re watching our homes disintegrate before our very eyes,” she said.

”For the residents who live here it’s been dreadful. We no longer feel safe in our own houses.”

About 20 residents assembled on Ramsay Gardens on Saturday to voice their concerns to The Courier.

They claim they were not consulted or warned about the hard rock blasting before Skene commenced operations last summer.

”It was like an earthquake,” said Ms Duncan, describing the first blast.

”The ground shook. People went out into the street.

”We live near an airfield and I thought a plane had come down.”

Lomond Quarry has for a long time been used for sourcing sand and gravel, however it is the excavation of dolerite that has caused concern among locals because of the powerful blasting required to extract it.

The Courier was shown large cracks in the outside walls of homes and a step which had crumbled at Paterson Cottages. Residents say the damage is a result of the blasting but without paying for expensive surveys they have no proof.

Mr Rowley has written to council chief executive Ronnie Hinds requesting an independent review of the situation be carried out by independent legal and planning experts. He has also written to Skene Group

The Courier was unable to contact Skene Group for comment.