MSP Seeks Quarry Talks

A Fife MSP's is calling for talks with Fife Council about making Prestonhill Quarry safe.

18 year old John McKay died there last week, less than a year after Cameron Lancaster, also 18, died jumping into the disused site.

Annabelle Ewing wants to discuss with bosses whether the passing of the Community Empowerment Bill can allow the local authority, or the community, to buy the land.

Fife Council says it's seeking legal advice after trying to get the quarry's owners to implement proper safety measures.

The SNP member for Mid Scotland and Fife recently visited Prestonhill Quarry, the site of a recent tragedy in which a local teenager lost his life.
 
Ms Ewing was accompanied by local Councillor Alice McGarry with whom she discussed some of the challenges associated with making the site safe.
 
“First and foremost my thoughts are with the friends and family of John McKay who will have been devastated by their loss. My thoughts are also with the family of Cameron Lancaster, who drowned in the same quarry less than a year ago and for whom this latest tragedy will have brought everything they experienced rushing back." Ms Ewing said.
 
“I truly want to see what can be done with everybody working together to do all we can to prevent any further tragedy at the quarry.
 
“It was very useful to meet with Councillor McGarry at the quarry on Saturday and I really appreciate both her insight as a local councillor and all the work she has done to try to get a safe resolution to this matter. 
 
“Following that meeting, I have written to the Chief Executive of Fife Council seeking a meeting with relevant Council officials to discuss what plans the Council has going forward to address the various issues involved.
 
“I appreciate that there are a number of legal issues involved in terms of determining the owner of the property and indeed what enforcement action can be taken.  I also want to investigate whether the legal position might have changed following the passing of the Community Empowerment legislation passed last week by the Scottish Parliament.
 
“Pending longer term possible solutions, the key question right now is what the Council can do to secure the fencing and perimeter of the property encompassing the quarry as I understand that the new fencing that had been erected has already been damaged.”

Fife Council's Senior Manager Protective Services Roy Stewart has confirmed that the owners of the land are responsible for safety on the site.

He commented: "This has been a terrible tragedy and our thoughts and condolences are with the victim's family and friends. The quarry is a popular location locally but, as with any such location, it carries risks and hazards, and care should always be taken around cliff edges and deep water.

"The council shares concerns around the safety of users of the area and recently served notice on the company understood to be the owners of the site. This notice required that appropriate signage and fencing be put up and maintained at the quarry site alerting people to potential dangers.

"This notice has subsequently been returned to us from the occupiers of the registered office address and we are now taking legal advice to take forward further efforts to identify the site owners and make sure they take the responsibility for this issue."