Approval Granted for Quarry Expansion into Agricultural Land

Leicestershire County Council has approved proposals for Cliffe Hill Quarry, located in Stanton-under-Bardon near Coalville, to expand its operations into adjacent agricultural land, thereby enlarging its extraction zone. According to planning officials, this expansion is projected to “release around 30 million tonnes of reserves” and “sustain” the quarry’s ongoing activities. This authorization comes after a prior resolution in October 2022, which allowed Midland Quarry Products Ltd to operate the site for an additional ten years, extending its use until 2042, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS). Despite objections from local residents regarding the potential effects of the plans, councillors cast a unanimous vote in favor of permitting the quarry’s expansion into adjacent fields. A resident stated that his property was already experiencing impacts from the blasting conducted at the site, further noting that the proposed plans were “worrying” for him and his family. The LDRS indicates that the approval includes specific conditions designed to guarantee that blasting operations will not generate vibrations exceeding a predetermined threshold. Furthermore, evaluations of air quality concluded that the proposals “would not have a significant effect” on either the inhabitants or the surrounding ecosystem. Planning documentation reveals that a section of Cliffe Lane will be rerouted to accommodate the expansion. The current segment of the road will continue to be utilized until the new pathway is finalized. The LDRS also reported that the operational hours are anticipated to stay unchanged. The facility is presently divided into two distinct sections—the old quarry and the new quarry—which are connected by a tunnel. According to the LDRS, the new quarry is currently dedicated to processing extracted materials, and this function is not slated for alteration. Operations at the old quarry are projected to persist before extraction activities transition to the newly expanded area around 2028. Following the cessation of work in 2042, the site will undergo restoration.