TWO quarries and two landfill sites in West Dunbartonshire are expected to be put under the microscope when members of the local authority's Planning Committee meet tomorrow (Wednesday).

A report into the quarries- Dumbuckhill and Sheephill- both in Milton and landfill sites - Auchencarroch (Jamestown) and Rigangower (Milton) will be presented to committee members, detailing the annual monitoring of the sites.

In addition the report will also reveal the progress made on the renewal of restoration bonds for the sites.

The report states that the local authority has secured restoration bonds to the tune of £270,000 but that figure is expected to increase in future.

A Restoration Bond is essentially a mandatory requirement to ensure that land will be returned to its original condition upon the expiry of the relevant operating licence.

As a result the local authority is keeping tabs on the current sites to ensure that the bond values are set correctly.

The annual review states: "In general, all four sites continue to progress in accordance with their respective planning permissions.

"They vary in the restoration requirements set out by the planning consents, and therefore the extent of restoration that has been

carried out on each site also varies."

In terms of Auchencarroch Landfill Site, landfill is ongoing and the report states: "A new bond amount is presently being put in place for the site."

And for Dumbuckhill Quarry, the report states: "As a short-term measure a new bond of £200,000 has been agreed" but that "a further increase will be negotiated."

With regards to Rigangower Landfill, a restoration bond of £70,000 has been agreed, "which will be reviewed at regular intervals to ensure that it remains adequate to cover the cost of site restoration."

And with Sheephill Quarry, which is planning an expansion, this quarry has a historic planning permission dating from 1949, with "very few" conditions controlling operations on the site or restoration requirements.

As a result there is currently no restoration bond in place due to the age of the permission for the quarry.

But the report points out: "In the event of the planning permission for the proposed extension being granted this would be subject to a bond, the details of which would require to be updated and agreed to ensure that the amount was sufficient.

"Financial implications could arise in the future in the event of the failure of one of the site operators without a restoration bond, or the bond was not sufficient to cover the required restoration of the site.

"There is a risk to the Council if the quarry and landfill sites fail however it is not of the same magnitude experienced by other Councils in terms of the open cast coal industry."

The report also states: "There are financial and reputational risks to the Council if the sites are not formally monitored or the bonds are not adequate to cover the full cost of implementing the agreed restoration proposals."

Members of the Planning Committee will discuss the annual review of Quarries and Landfill sites in the Council Offices, in Garshake Road, Dumbarton, tomorrow from 2pm.