Plans submitted by James Callander & Sons to locate a new sawmill near to its leading co-products consumer have been rejected following a public hearing.
The company was proposing to move from its existing 11-acre premises in Falkirk to a 44-acre site close to the Nexfor chipboard plant at Cowie so as to reduce transport movements. However, Stirling Council’s planning panel confirmed last week that it was turning down the scheme in the face of “strong” public opposition.
Managing director Gordon Callander regretted the decision to reject the sawmill project even though water treatment, noise and all other issues had been resolved to the satisfaction of local planning professionals. He said that the company had yet to decide whether to lodge an appeal and would continue to assess alternative sites. “The idea of relocation to a larger site is still the right one for the company,” he insisted.
The rejected plans included provision for a boiler house, drying kilns and timber treatment plant, and would have led to the creation of an additional 23 jobs.
