THE future of a quarry near Dumbarton is continuing to cause headaches for council bosses after the owners of the site confirmed they’re appealing against refusal of a bid to extend extraction at the facility.

Members of the planning committee at West Dunbartonshire Council (WDC) imposed new standards on operations at Sheephill Quarry earlier this year – but the quarry owners’ plan for a land swap to enable them to extend extraction was rejected.

The council’s chief executive then called an emergency full council meeting to try to overturn the committee vote, warning that an appeal by the quarry owners could cost taxpayers millions of pounds – but councillors largely upheld the original decision.

Now the owners, William Thompson and Sons (Dumbarton) Ltd, have lodged an appeal with the Scottish Government against the council’s decision.

Nearly free rein was given to the company to extract minerals from the site more than 70 years ago, before homes on the Milton Hill estate were built close to the quarry’s boundary in the 1960s.

Attempts to bring in modern standards around noise and blasting hours spent a decade in limbo.

The quarry owners proposed a land-swap deal with council planners, who tied the decision together with a new review of old mineral permissions (ROMP).

But the planning committee rejected the swap and approved the ROMP.

The full council, after five hours of debate, upheld the committee’s decisions, but added extra conditions to the ROMP.

Joyce White, WDC’s chief executive, claimed the authority could face a £2.4 million bill if an appeal were upheld.

The rejection is summarised as: “The extension of the extraction area to the north-west is unacceptable because of the effect it would have on the amenity of the area and on the residents of nearby properties.”

In their appeal, William Thompson and Sons said this lacked a detailed justification for refusing their plans.

They rely on external reports that said the impact would be “acceptable” despite a list of objections by neighbouring residents.

The company states: “It is apparent...that the reason for refusal includes only a broad statement which lacks any specificity or basis in development plan policy.”

They argue the planning committee in March failed in their statutory duty to look at the application against the development plan.

They say that there are no “material considerations” to reject their plan under the permission they were granted in 1949.

A WDC spokeswoman said: “A planning permission appeal for Sheephill Quarry land on Craigunnock Hill was received on June 17.

“The response to the appeal will be consistent with the decision to refuse the planning application made at a meeting of council in March.”