THE Scottish Government has signalled for the first time it may intervene in a controversial quarry extension near the New Lanark World Heritage Site.

Planning Minister Derek Mackay has ordered South Lanarkshire Council to notify his department if it plans to grant planning permission.

If that happens, the minister will have 28 days to decide whether to block the plans or call in a reporter to investigate the situation for the Government.

The move follows vocal local protests and a critical Parliamentary motion which has been backed by 24 MSPs, including Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie.

Cement company Cemex has lodged plans to expand its Hyndford Quarry into the buffer zone around New Lanark, adjacent to the historic viewpoint overlooking the Falls of Clyde.

The falls have inspired generations of poets and painters, including William Wordsworth and JMW Turner, while 18th-century New Lanark is famous as the setting for Robert Owen's model of utopian socialism.

Joan McAlpine, the MSP who tabled the motion, said: "I am not surprised the minister has taken this step, but I hope it is not necessary and South Lanarkshire Council reject the proposal. While New Lanark itself is a world-class example of industrial and social heritage, it cannot be separated from the surrounding landscape."

The proposed expansion would result in lowering the landscape by 100ft in places, with 3.6 million tonnes of sand and gravel extracted from the area over six years.

Today, Ms McAlpine will meet Historic Scotland, the Government agency protecting national heritage that has been criticised for not opposing the plans.