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‘It should be like Champagne in France’: Call for a whisky tax to benefit Moray

Bottle of whisky
Whisky distillery tasting glass bottle Picture by JASON HEDGES ***Stock Images*** created on site at Ballandalloch Castle on 04/05/2018

A call has been made for a whisky tax to be introduced to benefit Moray.

Councillors said the region needed to follow the lead of the Champagne area of France and capitalise on the industry.

The remarks came during discussions on an application to build more warehouses at Crisp Maltings, Portgordon.

The proposal was unanimously approved at a Moray Council meeting this week.

But councillor for Speyside Glenlivet Derek Ross said a tax on the industry should be considered.

Councillor for Speyside Glenlivet Derek Ross. Image: DC Thomson

Proceeds would go on improving roads and infrastructure in the area.

Moray is known as malt whisky country because of the high number of distilleries it has.

Mr Ross said: “The amount of traffic through the villages, Rothes in particular, has become more and more in the last few years.

“I think we as an authority should be looking at what the Champagne region of France has, and that’s a spin-off from the product.

“Just a tiny amount of taxation is taken by the local area.

Whisky tax

“And that makes Champagne one of the wealthiest areas in France because of the product it produces.

“At the moment were going out on the roads and there’s potholes.

“And the carriageways are churned up at the side.

“We all suffer the heavy lorries on our roads.

“Perhaps we as an authority, and perhaps the administration, could be looking at lobbying for a small amount of taxation for this area.”

Councillor for Keith and Cullen Donald Gatt.

As there are relatively few traffic movements associated with the development no contributions will be sought from the developer.

Councillor for Keith and Cullen Donald Gatt raised concerns over the amount of agricultural land being used for developments.

Having asked officers how much farm land had been lost, he was told the council did not keep that information.

Mr Gatt said: “We’re all reliant on agriculture whether we like it or not, because it’s the farmers who produce the food we eat.

“It’s a concern of mine that we’re losing a terrific amount of agricultural land.

Loss of farm land concerning

“I hope officers will take this into consideration for future local development plans.

“I’d rather see development on brownfield sites rather than greenfield sites and agricultural land.”

He was advised there was an emphasis on utilising brownfield sites.

But as the proposal was for a large development there was no scope for it to be built on such a site.

The application put forward by William Grant and Sons Distillers Limited includes the realignment of the Core Burn.

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