Plans in for new Northumberland quarry, expected to generate five million tonnes of rock
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The bid, a joint submission by the Northumberland Estates and North East Concrete, relates to a site at Shiel Dykes, 2km to the west of the A1 and 2km north-west of Newton on the Moor.
The Estates, which represents the business interests of the Duke of Northumberland, is the landowner, while North East Concrete would be the future operator, having already worked in Northumberland at Caistron near Rothbury, and Hedgeley and Wooperton Quarries at Powburn.
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Hide AdA non-technical summary, included as part of the application which was submitted to Northumberland County Council this month, states: ‘The quarry will principally extract whinstone, a hard basalt rock that is used in the construction industry, principally for building roads.
‘Five million tonnes of rock will be extracted over a 25-year period and distributed via an existing access road that joins up with the A1. No lorries will pass through any local villages.
‘As the quarry is worked, it will be progressively restored broadly back to existing ground levels using imported inert construction and demolition arisings and overburden from the site, leaving a site that will be returned to upland agricultural grazing.
‘Once all of the rock has been extracted, infilling with the imported arisings will continue for another five years, so the total time period for the operation will be 30 years.’
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Hide AdThe total site extends to 46.2 hectares, of which only 19 hectares will be quarried, with the remaining areas used for processing, soil storage, water management and traffic circulation.
The extraction area lies within the boundary of Denwick Parish Council, but the access route to the A1 falls within the boundary of Shilbottle parish.
The document concludes: ‘The proposal will enable the extraction of high-quality rock together with a sensitive restoration scheme that is in keeping with key biodiversity objectives.
‘The environmental effects are shown in the assessment to be controllable and able to be mitigated to meet acceptable standards under the requirements of planning and environmental policy and guidance.’