Hyndford Quarry facts for kids
| Location | |
|---|---|
 Hyndford Quarry
Location in South Lanarkshire
|
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| Location | Lanark |
| Local Authority | South Lanarkshire |
| Country |  Scotland |
| Coordinates | 55°39′26.82″N 3°44′43.76″W / 55.6574500°N 3.7454889°W |
| Production | |
| Products | Aggregates |
| Owner | |
| Company | Cemex |
| Website | cemexlocations.co.uk |
Hyndford Quarry is a place near Lanark, Scotland, where a company called Cemex UK digs up materials called aggregates. Aggregates are things like sand, gravel, and crushed stone. They are used to make concrete and build roads.
The quarry is named after the nearby village of Hyndford. It is so old and important that it's even listed by a special group that records historical sites in Scotland. The quarry is next to the River Clyde on one side. It's also close to Lanark Racecourse and a farm called Robiesland Farm. You can't go inside the quarry, but you can see it from a road that goes towards New Lanark.
Quarry Extension Plans
In 2010, the company that runs Hyndford Quarry wanted to make it bigger. This plan caused a lot of discussion. The proposed expansion would reach close to New Lanark, a very special place listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It was also near the beautiful Falls of Clyde.
Applying for Permission
The company asked the local council, South Lanarkshire Council, for permission in November 2012. They wanted to add two new areas to the quarry. One area, called the Southern Extension, was outside the special protected zone around New Lanark. The other, called the Western Extension, would have gone into this protected zone.
Who Opposed the Plans?
Many groups and people were against the Western Extension. A local group called Save Our Landscapes led the opposition. They collected 7,000 signatures on a petition and received over 11,500 letters of objection.
Other groups also opposed the plan. These included the New Lanark Trust, local community councils, and groups focused on history and nature. The Scottish Wildlife Trust, which looks after the Falls of Clyde, was also against it. However, Historic Scotland, a government agency for heritage, did not oppose the plan. This caused some debate.
The Decision Process
In December 2013, the local council's Planning Committee approved the quarry extension. After this, a campaign started to ask Scottish Ministers to review the decision. Scottish Ministers are like senior government officials in Scotland. They decided to review the plan at the end of January 2013, which was an unusual step.
The groups against the quarry expansion then joined together. They formed a group called the New Lanark and Falls of Clyde Working Group. They presented their arguments at a hearing in August 2014.
In February 2015, the officials who ran the hearing supported the quarry's application. However, in June 2015, the Scottish Ministers announced that they would reject the Western Extension. They said they would allow only the Southern Extension. The officials were then asked to work out the rules for the Southern Extension. The Ministers will make a final decision after that.
