Lochside residents and councilors successfully opposed a concrete plant on Irongray Road due to noise and visual concerns.
Twenty-two people objected to the plant. They worried about noise and pollution. The large concrete hopper bothered them, standing eight meters tall and seeming visually unappealing.
Mr. L Scott, a businessman, sought approval and asked the council for planning permission. The station was to be small, not a huge unit. Plans included a cabin, a fence, and places to store materials.
Councilors visited the site, listened to the objections carefully, noting its proximity to a house and the Knowhead kennels. They met again to decide the issue.
Councillor Andrew Giusti opposed the plant development, feeling it was in the wrong place. He believed the area was a buffer zone to protect the area’s pleasantness.
Giusti proposed rejecting the plan, citing the hopper’s unacceptable scale and that it did not fit the surrounding area. He noted it differed from other businesses there and mitigating factors were inadequate.
The proposal failed policy OP2 because it did not improve, but negatively affected, the visual appeal, he said. Councillor Pauline Drysdale supported Giusti’s arguments, deeming the plan “not acceptable.”
Drysdale stated the proposal ignored residential impact, and the adjacent house was not considered enough. Councilors then unanimously agreed on rejecting the plan, citing that the concrete plant contradicted council policy and did not align with local businesses.