Hillhouse Quarry B730 Dundonald A759 - Council Boundary Dundonald South Ayrshire Ka2 9Be
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Agenda Item No 3/1 REGULATORY PANEL: 11 DECEMBER 2019 17/00027/APPM HILLHOUSE QUARRY B730 DUNDONALD A759 - COUNCIL BOUNDARY DUNDONALD SOUTH AYRSHIRE KA2 9BE REPORT BY PLACE DIRECTORATE Location Plan This product includes mapping data licensed from Ordnance Survey with permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. © Crown copyright and/or database right 2018. All rights reserved. Licenced number 100020765. 2. Summary The application proposes to amend the existing permitted quarrying operations at Hillhouse and Hallyards quarries to increase the duration of the permissions, alter and reduce the lateral extents (footprint) of both quarries, to increase the depth of the excavations and to form a link road between the quarries. The environmental effects of the proposed changes to the lateral and vertical limits of extraction are assessed as either neutral (noise, dust, blasting/vibration, water quality, cultural heritage & hydrology/hydrogeology) or beneficial (traffic, ecology, landscape and outdoor access). The link road between the quarries will involve construction within the Smugglers Trail Valley which will have negative effects on ecology and landscape/outdoor access. The ecological impacts can, however, be fully mitigated. The negative impact on the landscape and experience of walkers using the Smugglers Trail Valley footpaths can be partially mitigated through re-landscaping, however, there will be a residual effect. The residual impact is however considered to be acceptable when balanced against the significant positive impacts of the overall package of proposals that include a significantly reduced level of woodland removal within the Smugglers Trail Valley compared to the permitted extraction limits, reduced impacts on the wider landscape, reduced ecological impacts, expanded program of woodland management, reduced HGV traffic passing through Dundonald and the provision of a restoration bond. It is recommended that the Director of Place be granted delegated powers to approve this application for planning permission subject to planning conditions and a restoration bond. Further it is recommended that the applicant’s request for Waiver for unpolluted soils from the requirements of the Management of Extractive Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2010 and request for Non- Waste By-Product confirmation for all non-saleable materials generated at the site and placed directly into excavation voids be granted. REPORT BY PLACE DIRECTORATE REGULATORY PANEL: 11 DECEMBER 2019 SUBJECT: PLANNING APPLICATION REPORT APPLICATION REF: 17/00027/APPM SITE ADDRESS: HILLHOUSE QUARRY B730 DUNDONALD A759 - COUNCIL BOUNDARY DUNDONALD SOUTH AYRSHIRE KA2 9BE DESCRIPTION: THE WINNING AND WORKING OF MINERALS AND ASSOCIATED ANCILLARY OPERATIONS AT HILLHOUSE AND HALLYARDS QUARRIES, CONSTRUCTION OF INTERNAL LINK ROAD BETWEEN QUARRIES AND FORMATION OF PATHS (CONSOLIDATION OF TWO EXISTING CONSENTED QUARRY OPERATIONS INTO A SINGLE SITE WITH A REDUCED OVERALL SITE AREA) RECOMMENDATION: DELEGATED POWERS TO APPROVE SUBJECT TO PROVISION OF A SUITABLE BOND FOR RESTORATION AND CONDITIONS AND AGREEMENT TO THE WAIVERS APPLIED FOR UNDER THE WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN APPLICATION REPORT This report fulfils the requirements of Regulation 16, Schedule 2, paragraphs 3(c) and 4 of The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure)(Scotland) Regulations 2013. The application is considered in accordance with the Council’s Scheme of Delegation as well as the Procedures for the Handling of Planning Applications. 1. Proposal: Site Description The site is located on the outskirts of Dundonald, approximately 4km north-east of Troon, 9km north of Prestwick and 6km south of Irvine. The site extends to approximately 186 ha. The operational areas of the site can be described in two main parts, Hillhouse and Hallyards. Hillhouse: The Hillhouse area (approximately 123 hectares) is accessed from the A759 and is occupied by existing extensive quarried areas and processing plant. It includes a series of benches and quarry faces that have been excavated into the hill. The deepest part of the excavation is approximately 18m Above Ordnance Datum (AOD) to the south, with the main bench levels at approximately 40m AOD, 48m AOD and 60m AOD. The main benches are linked by a series of ramps and internal roadways. The Hillhouse area includes extensive areas used for processing and ancillary production, which are generally located within a plant site to the west at ground levels varying between 17m and 28m AOD. This area includes plant to crush and screen aggregates, asphalt plants and concrete batching plants. The area is also used for lorry parking, weighbridges, offices, laboratories and staff welfare facilities. There are several areas used for water management and treatment and as extractive waste tips. The unworked areas of Hillhouse extend to approximately 14.6 hectares, located to the north-east and south-east. 2. These areas comprise a mixture of semi-improved grassland, deciduous woodland, scrubby moorland and wet grassland. The Hillhouse area includes part of the Dundonald Woods SSSI, contained in two separate blocks located to the northeast of the current working area and to the south east. These areas are already consented for extraction, with the woodland previously removed in preparation for extraction. The current planning permission for Hillhouse, includes permission to extract the hilltop lying between the current north eastern extent of working and Dundonald Castle. The approved lifetime of the quarry runs to 2042. Hallyards: The Hallyards area is accessed from Old Loans Road. Currently, some 18.8 hectares of the Hallyards area is occupied by quarrying operations. It includes a number of quarry faces and benches that have been excavated into the hillside. The deepest part of the excavation is at approximately 87 AOD to the north, with the main bench levels at approximately 96m AOD and 107m AOD. Historically, aggregate was processed within the quarry and there are a number of extractive waste tips. The unstripped portion of Hallyards extends to approximately 11.6 hectares, located to the southwest and southeast. These areas are generally comprised of a mixture of semi-improved grassland, deciduous woodland and scrubby moorland vegetation. The approved lifetime of the quarry runs to 2042. The Hillhouse and Hallyards areas are separated by a narrow steep sided valley which runs from Collenan Reservoir to a series of small hillocks to the south of Dundonald Nursing Home (“Smugglers Trail Valley”). The valley is heavily wooded and contains the Smugglers Trail core path. The current planning permission for Hallyards includes permission to excavate the eastern side of the valley, between the reservoir and Kemp Law. Description of Proposals The application seeks to amend the boundaries of the areas to be worked at Hillhouse and Hallyards, increase the depth of excavation and to excavate a haul road across the Smugglers Trail valley to link the two quarries. These amendments will result in an overall reduction in working area of 23 hectares between the two quarries. Hillhouse: Within the Hillhouse area, the application proposes to relinquish an area measuring approximately 13 hectares within the northeast of the quarry. This would increase the separation between the worked area and Dundonald from circa 240m to circa 500m. Permission is also sought to extend the quarry boundary to the southeast, closer to Collenan Reservoir, to incorporate an additional circa 5 hectares of improved agricultural land. In the later phases (+15 years), it is proposed to lower the existing quarry floor from its current +20m AOD to -15m AOD within the lower (western) half of Hillhouse. At the existing average extraction rate, the applicant expects the working life of Hillhouse to be a further 75 years. Plans showing the phasing of extraction and restoration at 5, 10, 15, 50 and 70 years have been submitted with the application. Work in the initial five year period would concentrate on forming the link between the two quarries together with the placement and grading of overburden material within the existing exhausted upper workings. Between years 5 and 50, extraction would continue within the upper north eastern area of the quarry, in the direction of Dundonald. Overburden would continue to be placed within the adjacent exhausted working areas and soils spread and planted in accordance with the conceptual restoration plan. After 50 years, extraction would switch to the southeast of the Hillhouse area (towards Collenan Reservoir) with the previously worked area in the lower half of the quarry being worked last by year 75. During this later period, the main processing area of Hillhouse would move into the south eastern corner of the site. Throughout the working life of the quarry, secondary processing would continue to be carried on within the northwest of the site, adjacent to the A759. The applicant has recently demolished and cleared the large processing plant building located close to the access onto the A759. Hallyards: The application proposes a reduced extraction area along the western side of Hallyards quarry. The current planning permission permits extraction close to the edge of Collenan Reservoir, resulting in the removal of the eastern side of the Smugglers Trail valley and the 8 hectares of woodland contained therein. The proposed extraction limit would retain the valley side and woodland. A further area on the eastern side is to be relinquished, adjacent to Old Loans Road. It should be noted that part of the Hallyards extraction area will nevertheless extend up to the edge of Old Loans Road creating views into the site. The proposal includes lowering the current quarry floor level to 60m AOD. In common with the phasing for Hillhouse, extraction work in the first five years will concentrate on the formation of the quarry access link. Between years five and ten, the extraction will progress in a northern direction, within an area previously worked in part. The benches in this area will be progressively backfilled and restored during this period. Extraction will then progress in a southern direction between years 10 and 50, again with progressive restoration.