Bid to excavate quarries 'for decades to come'

Councillors who will make the decision on the proposals have opted to visit the locations beforehand

Two limestone quarries that have been described as making a “significant contribution” to the supply of construction materials in Lancashire could continue to be excavated for decades to come under new plans.

Separate bids have been launched to extend the lifetimes of the neighbouring Back Lane and Leapers Wood quarries, between the villages of Over Kellet and Nether Kellet in Carnforth.

If approved, it would mean the sites could be dug deeper than currently permitted – with the Back Lane facility operating until the end of 2077 and Leapers Wood until 2065.  

However, the councillors who will make the decision on the proposals have opted to visit the locations beforehand.

Separate bids have been launched to extend the lifetimes of the neighbouring Back Lane and Leapers Wood quarries

Members of Lancashire County Council’s development control committee will see the quarries in operation before being presented with a detailed report outlining the planned deepening of the two sites by 75m (246ft).

At Back Lane Quarry, that level of excavation would release an additional 40 million tonnes of limestone aggregate reserves, while a further 26 million tonnes would be generated by Leapers Wood. 

Both sites would then have to be restored to normal by 31st December, 2078.

A report presented to the committee said the combined output of the two operations meant that they were of “strategic significance” to Lancashire “and beyond”.

County Hall’s head of development control, Jonathan Haine, told a meeting of the committee at which the site visit was approved that the quarries – which sit close to junction 35 of the M6 – are “quite well-screened by the woodland which surrounds [them]”.

However, he told members that it was worth taking a trip to the location in person, adding:  “There are some isolated houses near to the site that do get affected by noise…dust and some blasting impacts, occasionally.”

The two quarries used to be separated by an area of land between them, but that has been removed over the last 20 years to form “a single overall mineral working excavation”. 

However, they are still operated by separate companies – Aggregate Industries, in the case of Back Lane, and Tarmac at Leapers Wood.