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Owners try again to reopen quarry

Efforts to re-open a Victorian quarry in Thornton have been renewed after planning permission was refused over concerns about noise and a high number of lorry movements at the site.

Leeds-based owners Axel Properties were refused permission to re-open the Black Dyke Quarry last year after mass opposition from local residents was upheld by a Government inspector.

They have submitted a revised scheme to Bradford Council to excavate 432,000 tonnes of stone over 15 years.

The revised plans include wagon movements of 20 a day. Up to 100 trips a day falling to 40 a day in the longer term were envisaged originally.

John Carlon, of mining engineers and surveyors Fennell, Green & Bates who are acting for Axel, said a new environmental statement took account of objections and the planning inspector's comments.

He said wagon movements would now be restricted to four an hour between 7.30am and 6pm on Monday to Friday and between 7.30am and 1pm on Saturdays. The quarry would be closed on Sundays.

The statement included the results of noise monitoring which showed that the lower traffic levels would be within permitted limits and tests of the water in the quarry which had confirmed it was not polluted.

Black Dyke Quarry first opened in 1880 for the production of Yorkshire stone and closed in the 1940s. It was later owned by wool textile group Illingworth Morris and used to dump boiler ash from its mills.

The current owners are legally bound to fill in the quarry but want to fill it as the remaining stone is removed.

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