Quarry arts centre plans 'in the mixer?'

by DOUG COLLIE

Ambitious proposals for a so-called sustainability centre complete with an arena for the performing arts at a disused quarry outside Jedburgh may have been scuppered by a planning application seeking to turn the venue into a ready mix concrete plant.

The former quarry at Dunion Hill, a carboniferous volcano with spectacular views across the Scottish Borders, was abandoned some years ago following its use as a landfill site.

Creative Arts Business Network and Creative Carbon Scotland have both been involved in discussions aimed at bringing the site back into use.

According to a report published over a year ago: "The Sustainability Centre would be a series of linked hubs focusing on Scottish Innovation, Oceans, Energy, Transport, Waste, and Agriculture along with a cafe, conference centre and workshop area with the quarry itself being transformed into a performance, events arena."

the vision for the "3 to 1" Sustainability Centre - 3 to 1 refers to current use of world resources - came from local man John Bathgate who was inspired by visits to the Eden Project, Cornwall and the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales. The idea was to combine a green tourism initiative with an education, research and innovation centre. 

The South of Scotland Enterprise Partnership (SoSEP) had agreed to fund a feasibility study which would take the project to the next stage.

But a much less 'green' use has been suggested for the Dunion site in the shape of a planning application from Lockerbie-based Grange Quarry Ltd. The company has become one of the largest suppliers of aggregates and ready mixed concrete in Dumfriesshire and North Cumbria. 

In a supporting statement lodged with planning authority Scottish Borders Council, agents for Grange say the applicant proposes to establish its mobile ready mixed concrete batching plant at Dunion Quarry for a temporary period of up to three years to provide a source of concrete to the Hawick Flood Defence Scheme which is one of the largest flood defence projects ever carried out in Scotland.

"In addition to supplying the scheme the applicant intends to supply the local Jedburgh and Hawick market with ready mixed concrete for the period that the plant is in operation. The aim of the project is to build a state-of-the-art flood protection system which will protect the town of Hawick against major flood events for many years to come – and to do so with the minimum of disruption to local residents, businesses and wildlife. It is estimated that, once complete, 970 buildings in the town currently under threat from flooding will be protected. The project has a requirement for 25,000 cubic metres of concrete over period of approximately 2 ½ to 3 years."

The old quarry has been chosen as a preferred location for the plant as: "The site benefits from substantial screening provided by stands of trees either side of the side entrance and by an established hedgerow to the east allowing the plant to be well screened from views. The site is a considerable distance from residential property (800 metres) allowing early morning operations with minimal potential for residential amenity impacts". 

Grange claims environmental impacts of their development will be minimal.

Their statement says: "Dust - Due to the raw materials and processes used, concrete production has historically had the potential to cause dust impacts. However with modern plant design and good site management practice these impacts can be controlled and to all intents and purposes eliminated at source.

"Operating hours - It is intended that the site will operate between 06:00 and 18:00 hours Monday to Friday and 07:00 until 18:00 hours on Saturday. Such long hours are required to provide the applicant with the flexibility to operate the plant in the evening and dawn periods, meeting the requirements of the construction industry.

"Highways and traffic - The dispatch of ready mix concrete from the site will be carried out in 8m3 truck mixers, whilst deliveries of stone, sand and cement will be made using HGV’s with an average load of 22.5 tonnes. On this basis the output noted above this will generate an average of 90 movements (arrivals and departures) each week. It is considered that the local road network can accommodate such traffic volumes without there being significant environmental impacts."

However, local residents might cast doubt on the ability of the minor B6358 road to cope with such an increased volume of heavy vehicles. Although lorry drivers use the route as a short cut between Hawick and Jedburgh HGVs are discouraged from travelling on the road which is often affected by snow and ice in winter.