Quarry extension may be blocked amid row over increased HGV traffic

Plans to extend a quarry in South Yorkshire have attracted dozens of objections, despite the number of predicted HGVs remaining the same and a “markedly low” road traffic incident rate.

Breedon Southern submitted the proposals to extend the Holme Hall Quarry near Stainton to around 31.6ha and included a number of mitigation measures for HGVs leaving the site in its plans.

These include no overloading; sheet and covering of any materials in transit and ensuring lorries pass through a wheel wash before exiting the site.

In an environmental report carried out on behalf of Breedon, it found that there were no incidents occurring in the last five years that could be attributable to any highway deficiency and the eight that did occur were down to driver error with none involving HGVs.

It added that eight incidents in over 66 months was markedly low and that the plans did not seek to increase the number of HGV movements.

But residents and local councillors have lodged letters of objection to the plans, claiming that the existing HGV traffic was causing pollution and damaging the road.

One said there were “increasingly larger loads on roads, which were not designed for this traffic, which commence at 6am daily.”

Another said: “I think it is unacceptable for the residents to put up with the extra pollution from extra lorries, which already speed to excess in our village!

“It’s not safe for our children; someone will get run over soon or someone’s health is going to deteriorate rapidly with all the pollution.”

A decision on the application is likely to be heard at a planning meeting later this year.