Freedom of Information Request - Boylestone Quarry, Barrhead, Glasgow
Date: 15 December 2025
Our ref: SIR182451/A5624424
Information Request – Boylestone Quarry, Barrhead, Glasgow
Your Request
I would be grateful for any information regarding Nature Scotland's communications with the new owner of this derelict quarry.
The quarry was sold by auction in the last few years and it still has SSSI status.
I would be interested to know what, if any, specific plans the owners have as regards protecting this site.
Our Response
Following a search of the information we hold our response is attached separately and below. There has also been some verbal communication about the site, but this is not recorded and cannot therefore be shared.
The site currently has two owners. We have been in communication with both owners to ask for, and have received from both, permission to:
• Undertake site visits to look and the feature of interest
• Assess the impact of the woodland/trees on the feature of interest
• Commission tree thinning works and meet a contractor on site to discuss these
• Provide written instruction to the contractor to undertake tree thinning to improve visibility & access to the feature of interest
However, we have had no formal consultation with the new owner about their plans or aspirations for their section of Boylestone Quarry SSSI.
Site visits to date:
• 15 May 2023 – Local staff requested access for site visit.
• 16 December 2024 - Local staff organised a site visit
• 13 February 2025 – Local staff visited site to assess thinning requirements and map work area
• 21 October 2025 – Local staff met contractor on site to assess tree thinning works for quote
• W/c 23 November 2025 – Contractor on site to undertake tree thinning works (Contractor now confirmed works completed & sent in “after” photos for our files).
We have marked out (redacted) personal data in the documents provided. Releasing personal data into the public domain in response to an access to information request would breach the Data Protection Act 2018. We are therefore withholding the information under EIRs Regulation 11(2) (Personal data).
Our policy is to not to make locations of badger setts publicly available. As release of information under the EIRs is equivalent to release into the public domain, we do not believe it is in the public interest to release information that might enable disturbance to the badgers. We have therefore redacted some information that would identify the locations of badger setts, applying EIRs Regulation 10(5)(g) (Protection of the environment) to this information.
How We Handled Your Request
We believe you have asked for environmental information as defined in the Environmental Information (Scotland Regulations 2004 (‘the EIRs’), so we are dealing with your request under those regulations. To be able to use the EIRs, we must apply an exemption under section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (‘FOISA’). The Scottish Information Commissioner’s guidance recommends that public authorities apply this exemption to environmental information and handle request under the EIRs.
If you would like to find out more about the access to information legislation, there is a guidance booklet available on the Scottish Information Commissioner’s website.
Review and Appeal
I hope this information meets your requirements, but if you are dissatisfied with how we have responded to your information request, please write to us within 40 working days explaining your concerns. You can contact us at Battleby, Redgorton, Perth, PH1 3EW or email us at [email protected]. We will carry out a review of our response and contact you with our findings within 20 working days.
If you are not satisfied following this, you can make an appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner within 6 months. The Scottish Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Scottish Information Commissioner
Kinburn Castle
Doubledykes Road
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 9DS
Telephone: 01334 464610
Yours sincerely
FOI Officer,
NatureScot
