Quarry go-ahead despite fears A9 access could prove deadly
Plans to reopen a quarry so it can provide materials to dual the A9 have been approved despite road safety concerns.
Councillors granted the application for the workings at Dalmagarry Quarry, by Tomatin, after Ken McCorquodale, principal planner for Highland Council, said a revised layout providing a junction at the quarry would make it safer.
But Inverness South councillor Jim Crawford objected over fears of a serious accident.
He said: "It is irresponsible and someone shall die there but they certainly shan’t die in my name."
The matter was debated by the south planning applications committee at the Town House in Inverness on Wednesday.
Strathspey and Badenoch councillor Bill Lobban said new plans allowing quarry traffic leaving the site to turn left or right onto the A9 were certainly an improvement on the proposals rejected by the same committee in December.
At that time a temporary planning application by Pat Munro (Alness) for the workings was described as absolutely inconceivable because they advocated giving aggregate-laden lorries southbound access and exit only.
Lorries looking to go north would have been forced to travel south towards Tomatin, pull into a layby and take a right turn across a conflicting flow of traffic to continue back towards Inverness.
Vehicles coming from the Aviemore direction would also have had to drive past the quarry and pull into a layby and cross the conflicting flow of traffic in the same manner as lorries on the south side.
But now, new plans have been drawn up giving access into the site for southbound vehicles turning left into the quarry, and allowing quarry traffic leaving the site to turn left or right onto the A9.
Vehicles coming from the Aviemore direction would still have to drive past the quarry and pull into a layby and cross the conflicting flow of traffic.
Mr McCorquodale said the northbound layby had good visibility in both directions. And given the market for the quarry lies mainly to the north in Inverness, the required use of the set-back layby is not expected to be "significant".
Members voted 9-2 in favour of the temporary application.
The quarry project is expected to create four jobs.
