Quarry application withdrawn after complaints

Wensley Quarry is based near Leyburn

Controversial plans to extend the working life of a limestone quarry have been withdrawn after criticism from nearby residents.

Building firm Tarmac had applied to push back the end date of Wensley Quarry, near Leyburn, from 2042 to 2053, and agree a plan for its next phases of work.

The plan was opposed by residents of nearby Preston-under-Scar who claimed the operator had ignored villagers and misled council officials over problems with noise, dust and vibrations.

Tiffany Cox, strategic planning manager at Tarmac, said they planned to hold further talks with residents to explain more about their proposals before resubmitting the application in early 2026.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Preston-under-Scar Parish Council said Tarmac had taken the decision following feedback received during a statutory consultation exercise held as part of the application.

The council said the company would now carry out further technical work to review the concerns in order to submit a revised application.

Tarmac has invited parish councillors to a meeting to discuss the feedback received and how they can improve the relationship with local residents, the authority said.

The opposition to the application has been led by Preston-under-Scar Residents' Group, which said it was taking legal advice over the plans.

A spokesperson said: "We are pleased that Tarmac have decided to withdraw their planning application to extend the working of Wensley Quarry and are carrying out further technical work and reviewing the concerns raised by the local community.

"They have stated that these concerns will be addressed in a revised application; we do hope that this will be the case."

The original application said no dust complaints had been received by the quarry in the last 10 years and so no amendments were needed to previously agreed planning conditions.

But villagers claimed they had records showing numerous complaints had been raised with the quarry in recent years.

It was also claimed that Tarmac had failed to inform council officers of the complaints when they made site visits and failed to maintain a complaints log, which it was required to do under the terms of the previous agreement.

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