Planning permission has been granted for the excavation of a quarry despite objections from residents over prolonged use of HGV lorries to clear it.
The excavation of Nearcliff Quarry in Conisbrough, Doncaster, will see up to 40 HGV movements a day for the next eight years.
The work is hoped to clear more than a million tonnes of limestone from the site, with lorries arriving or leaving the quarry every 12-15 minutes, according to a Doncaster Council report.
The council said it believed that to be an “acceptable intensity” of traffic, but residents have also warned against dangerous nearby junctions and existing anti-social behaviour on the site.
Speaking at the planning committee, resident Joan Jackson raised concerns about potential dangers on the A630, which the vehicles would exit on to from the quarry.
She said: “It’s a dreadful junction. It’s so dangerous. There are so many aspects of road safety that need to be considered.”
Jackson said there were also regular issues with anti-social behaviour at the quarry, with off-road bikers damaging surrounding woodland, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and stolen cars being driven onto the site and set alight.
