Quarry to continue operations for 18 years
GoogleMillions of tonnes of materials are set to be dug up from a quarry over the next 18 years after the site was given approval to keep running.
Durham County Council agreed to Tarmac's request to continue working at the site at Old Quarrington.
The council received seven objections to the scheme, which raised a number of concerns such as access, increased traffic, the negative impact on biodiversity and climate change and noise pollution.
But Tarmac said the site had been in operation "for decades" and a number of conditions had been put in place to address concerns raised by residents.
An estimated 921,000 tonnes of saleable minerals would be extracted each year from the site, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, including limestone and basal sand reserves.
Several inert materials will also be imported to the site for the restoration of Old Quarrington and Cold Knuckles Quarry by 2044.
'Airborne dust'
Speaking at a council meeting, Independent councillor Gary Hutchinson said residents had raised several "ongoing and unresolved issues" with the application, including the impact on nearby properties.
"Residents report being regularly affected by the airborne dust, particularly during the summer months and in windy conditions," he said.
"Residents are not seeking to prevent this development; they are seeking reassurances that the planning policies have been applied."
But Tarmac's strategic planning manager Richard Barradell argued the plans were for an already existing quarry.
"The site has been operational for decades and already benefits from long-established mineral permissions," he said.
"The quarry provides high-quality limestone and sand to local construction projects and directly employs eight people.
"This is a well-designed, environmentally responsible, policy-compliant proposal."
