Exciting plans have been lodged with the council to revitalise a disused quarry between Fairlie and West Kilbride.

Biglees Quarry, sited near Hunterston, has been abandoned for several years, and currently lies empty close to the A78.

The ASC Group, the world’s largest operator of volumetric trucks, has lodged a planning application to store manufactured green aggregate on the quarry floor.

The product is manufactured in Paisley from waste material, and requires to be stored to harden and strengthen before use.

The company is proposing to store the material at Biglees, before the finished product is dispatched to the market.

A request has also been put forward by the company for proposed mineral extraction at the site, which would mean the return of drilling after many years.

This extracted stone would then be blended with the manufactured green aggregate, before being shipped out.

In its statement, the company says it believes that an Environmental Impact Assessment would not be required for its storage plans, given the limited environmental impacts.

It reads: “The closest residential property to the site Biglees Farm is located approximately 475m to the north west. This property is in the ownership of the quarry land owner.

“There are properties located closer to the site access road which are also in the ownership of the quarry landowner and properties at South Kilruskin 90m to the south of the junction.

“However, vehicle movements are very limited, at six in total per day. As a result, there is no potential for significant residential amenity impacts as a result of the proposal.

Although the site is located within Mainland Special Landscape Area, The Glen Burn Candidate SWT and the Clyde Muirshiel Park, the applicant believes there would be very limited impacts.

The company plans to store around 20,000 tonnes of manufactured green aggregate every year, and initial movement of vehicles will involve six movements every day.

The ASC group has outlined its reasoning for using the quarry, taking note of a future planning application for extraction at the site.

It said: “It provides a free draining floor and shelter from the quarry faces which facilitates the storage of the material in a dry condition allowing the stock to harden and strengthen.

“The site provides good access directly to the A78 which will allow the material to be distributed around the local market.

“The manufactured green aggregate will need to be blended with other raw aggregate in order to produce good quality concrete.

“A limited extraction proposal is also being prepared which would take advantage of the presence of high-quality virgin aggregate mineral at the site to produce an all-in product for use in concrete.”

The full application can be found on North Ayrshire Council’s planning portal.