Company Given Go-Ahead to Quarry Near Monument

By Nicola Fenwick

A QUARRY company?s controversial plan to extract sand and gravel near a 5,000-year-old monument has finally received approval.

But those opposed to Tarmac?s plans for Ladybridge Farm, near Thornborough Henges, between Bedale and Ripon, North Yorkshire, have vowed to fight on.

Tarmac runs nearby Nosterfield Quarry, but wants to extract 1.1 million tonnes of sand and gravel from Ladybridge Farm.

Permission was granted in January last year, but the decision was quashed when the Friends of Thornborough Henges accused North Yorkshire County Council of not going through the proper procedures.

The henges earthworks, described as the Stonehenge of the North, are scheduled ancient monuments.

Tarmac resubmitted the application, along with up-to-date archaeology, hydrology and environmental reports. Its application was yesterday approved by the planning committee.

Councillors agreed with council officers that there was no archaeological reason for not granting permission, and recognised Tarmac?s efforts to prove that. They also praised its award-winning restoration of the Nosterfield site.

John Lowry, the chairman of the Friends of Thornborough Henges, spoke out, saying officers had given inadequate and misleading advice to members. He said the cumulative effects of the plan had not been addressed and alternatives to quarrying were not considered.

Rob Moore, Tarmac?s lands and geology manager, emphasised the importance of its work, saying it would leave a beneficial legacy.

He said that to bring the sand and gravel in from outside the region would be unsustainable and outlined the contribution it made to the community by providing employment and restoring the landscape at Nosterfield. The site has become a haven for wildlife and a popular attraction for birdwatchers, horse-riders and walkers, and Tarmac has similar plans for Ladybridge.

After the decision, Mr Lowry said:?Iam not at all surprised. We predicted this, but we have got steps to take.We could take them to a judicial review, but we have got to talk to our legal people. It is not over. ?

Mr Moore said: ?We are very pleased with the decision. They have taken into account all the additional information we had put forward.

?We would like to reassure people as a company that the Thornborough Henges are safe.We are committed to conserving them into the future. We feel that the Ladybridge Farm restoration actually complements the site of the henges.

?We would hope this is the end of it, but obviously we will have to consider what they put forward in any possible future challenge. ?

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