Water table reduction
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There are major concerns regarding the reduction of the water table from the deep excavations adjacent to the north boundary of the Mains Plantation. Excavations will be as deep as 20 metres in places. This is the equivalent of 6 or 7 storeys of an apartment block. This is likely to cause a dramatic reduction in water table which could cause die-back on the edge of the woodland. A consequence of the loss of the natural woodland edge is that the 'internal' trees become exposed to severe wind damage, and wind felled trees are inevitable. The potential for the woodland edge to recede towards the south is very real, resulting eventually in a denuded and narrower tree belt, with loss of amenity and shelter for the first line of houses.
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Tree Preservation Order on Mains Estate
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A tree preservation order has now been
granted for the Mains Estate. This effectively prevents any workings
within the confines of the woodland boundary. Unfortunately a detached group of native Scots Pine trees are not included within the woodland and are therefore not protected by the TPO. There is a distinct possibility that these trees may represent a hitherto unexpected southern boundary of the great Caledonian Forest. If so these trees are probably unique and important relics of Scottish natural history. Home Summary of Issues Contents Links Images
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Remediation proposals |
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Remediation works in the existing
quarry have not been carried out in accordance with the conditions of the
original consent. Various statutory constraints and impositions are
outstanding on the current workings, and the Council have admitted that
they have not maintained a register of remediation works, nor have they
monitored the workings to ensure adherence to controls. Recently, some landscaping work has been carried out, most notably adjacent the quarry entrance near the Mains Estate roundabout. This landscaping extends up the hill to the start of the main workings. Some other re-instatement work has been carried out within the workings themselves, but this falls short of full extent required by the current planning consent. Tarmac are keen to re-assure the public that they will now progress the re-instatement of the completed quarry workings. Nothing short of a precise programme with clear deliverables will be believable. It is essential that residents lobby the Council to ensure that cast iron, enforceable conditions are imposed on any consent granted to Tarmac. Home Summary of Issues Contents Links Images
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Civil Engineering |
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An essential part of the workings is
the need for large settling ponds in various locations within the quarry.
These settlement ponds covered an extensive areas of the site in the
original planning application. What is probably not clear is that the area of water needed stretched a large distance from west to east, and because the ponds would have had to sit on sloping ground, they would either have required extensive excavation on the high side, or equally extensive damming on the low side. These dams would certainly have been visible from the Mains Estate, but the reduction in area of the new proposals means that the main settlement ponds will have little visual impact. The proposed reinstatement works including landscaping however are causing renewed concern amongst residents. The worry is that the levels cannot be achieved by the stored overburden and top soil, without importing new material. This matter is not dealt with in sufficient detail to eliminate the doubt. The question left unanswered is therefore whether imported material is essential, and where it would come from. How would this differ from a land-fill site?
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