Borders quarry cleared to dig to greater depth
Getty ImagesA quarry in the south of Scotland has been cleared to dig to a deeper level than previously permitted.
Scottish Borders Council's planning committee agreed the plans for Glenfin Quarry near Cockburnspath without objection.
The site has been operating for around 30 years and supplies hard rock.
Operators said the change - allowing them to go about 85ft (26m) deeper - would help them reach more material without increasing extraction limits or extending the life of the quarry.
Tyneside Roadstone Ltd, which runs the quarry, applied to lower the floor level below the current consented depth.
Marshall Douglas, who represents Tweeddale East, said the application would allow a well-established business to continue operating as it does now.
He told the meeting: "This application has merit and I don't think there is any issue with it.
"There is no increase in the rate of extraction and it is using the existing footprint as such so I don't have any objection to it."
Mid-Berwickshire councillor Donald Moffat also supported the plans, saying there had never been complaints about the quarry during its three decades of operation.
He said: "Everything in the report points to it being well managed.
"It's an efficient operation."
Planning officer Scott Shearer recommended approval, saying improved working practices meant the company could reach the deeper levels without increasing extraction limits, extending the quarry's lifespan or expanding into surrounding land.
He also said the development would not harm Ewieside hillfort or any other archaeological or heritage assets.
Reporting by Paul Kelly of the local democracy service.
