Developers behind plans for a controversial recycling centre for building materials near a historic Aberdeenshire castle have been told the site is “patently unsuitable”.
Construction firm CFM Dunecht Ltd want to change an agricultural tip at Castle Fraser Moss, near Dunecht, into one for inert waste and build an office.
Similar plans put forward by the firm have previously been rejected on the grounds it did not comply with council policy and would have a detrimental impact on the amenity of neighbouring properties.
And yesterday, councillors questioned what was different about the firm’s latest application.
A total of 25 objections were lodged about the plans, with concerns ranging from the unsuitability of the site, the number of heavy-goods lorries in the area to noise and dust pollution.
Yesterday the firm’s operations director Kevin Strachan argued changes had been made to the application and that a noise survey indicated the development would have “very little impact” on nearby homes.
Mr Strachan told members of the Garioch area committee: “It’s the best practical option for us. Recycling is needed to save from landfill, and finding places for this to occur has been very difficult in Aberdeenshire.”
He said there were two similar facilities to the east of Aberdeen, indicating the precedent had already been set.
But Councillor Martin Ford referred him to the council’s zero waste and strategy development plan, which states waste facilities should be developed as close as possible to the source, or near major junctions.
The proposed site would be accessed via a C-road that leads from the B977 Dunecht to Kintore road to Castle Fraser, using an existing access driveway.
Local councillors Ron McKail, Amanda Allan and Iris Walker called for the plans to be rejected on the grounds it would have an “unacceptable impact” on the amenity of the area and said it not a suitable location.
Inverurie councillor Bryan Stuart echoed their comments, and added: “This site is patently unsuitable. It’s on the Ordnance Survey map as an agricultural tip, it’s small scale but this is a far larger process.”
The committee unanimously rejected the proposal, and asked for council officials to ensure it was reinstated to its former condition within three months.