CRAG welcomes recommended rejection of Paterson’s plan for Upper Clyde gravel quarry

(Updated) The Clyde River Action Group (CRAG) is waiting to get the decision today from South Lanarkshire’s Planning Committee on whether or not permission will be granted to the quarry firm, Patersons of Greenoakhill, named but not shamed by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency as a serial polluter.

CRAG has fought a long and resourceful battle on this issue – which we have regularly covered – and will take comfort from officials’ recommendation by to the committee that the application should be refused.

The proposal for a site 20 metres form the River Clyde on Overburns farm at Lamingto near Biggar, includes the erection of a processing plant ad the creation of new access roads.

The stretch of the Upper Clyde in question – near Lamington – had previously suffered from profound urban pollution. It had successfully undergone a 25 year process of regeneration that left it with a reputation amongst the angling community as having the best brown trout fishing in Scotland.

Anglers have been a part of the widespread protest, making the point that the planned superquarry, 65 feet from the Clyde at Overburns Farm, could quite easily flood, polluting the downstream salmon spawning beds in the River Clyde. The senior national angling organisations, as we reported, were quick to lend their voices and support to the campaign.

The local community were looking at a picture where the extraction of 5 million tonnes of gravel over a 15 year period would see movements of superheavy trucks to carry away the gravel come through the little roads and small towns of the area at a rate averaging one every five minutes for the stated working period of the day.

Environmentalists were up in arms over the ecological impact of the proposal. Locals and walkers were appalled at the possibility of the lovely Tinto Hill, a beauty spot, being marred by the land excavations at its foot.

Let’s hope that the South Lanarkshire’s planning committee is the fat lady who can sing an end to this unsound proposal from a company whose respect for the environment has been shown to be inadequate on previous occasions.

Update 19.30 6th July: The fat lady sang and CRAG’s battle has ended in success. Patersons’ planning application for the Lamington Quarry was rejected earlier today by South Lanarkshire planning committee.

This has been a superb example of a community deciding not to be rolled over, mustering every possible resource in their managed and evidenced opposition. Well done CRAG.