ABSTRACT
Mining and quarrying proposals are perhaps the most controversial types of land use change that planning authorities must decide upon. Decision makers have to carry out the difficult balancing act between, on the one hand, allowing for the extraction of minerals that are needed for society’s growth, and, on the other protecting the environment for the sake of local communities, the landscape and the environment generally. This paper sets out how attempts are made in Scotland to reconcile these competing demands. Specific reference is made to the recent decision of the Scottish government to refuse planning permission for what would have been Europe’s largest quarry in the remote Western Isles. Reference is also made to best practice methods for mineral working and the steps that regulatory bodies and industry can adopt to ensure that, where permitted, mineral working is carried out in an environmentally sustainable manner.
