5:12pm Wednesday 7th May 2008
By Lynn Brown
RESIDENTS have voiced their opposition to plans to reopen a disused sandstone quarry in Malton just yards from their homes.
The Fitzwilliam Estate, owners of Brows Quarry on York Road, is hoping to resurrect the site, which has been disused since before the Second World War.
An application to reopen the quarry has been submitted to North Yorkshire County Council and is due to be discussed next month.
Councilors have made a fact-finding tour of the site following objections made by a group of residents who live on the nearby Milton Ridge Estate.
Russell Grimshaw, who has lived on the estate since it was built 16 years ago, said when they moved there was no mention of reopening the quarry.
He said: "I'm sure if people buying the houses knew what was on the cards then they would never have wanted to live there.
"What makes us angry is that the first we heard about it was in an article in the Gazette & Herald. Nobody bothered to inform the residents.
"Our main objection is on the grounds of safety. The speed limits are not followed this will make the stretch even more dangerous with more heavy goods vehicles on York Road."
Last Wednesday, two men were taken to hospital after a four-car accident during the early morning rush hour on York Road.
He added: "This accident was near the entrance of the old quarry and the access to the site is just not suitable for lorries. This quarry has not been used for 90 years and it would be unbelievable if permission was granted."
Last week, the residents gathered to formulate their opposition to the plans, which will be heard at County Hall in Northallerton on June 3.
In a report, Gordon Gresty from North Yorkshire County tried to allay fears within the local community.
But residents say there is nothing to stop the landlords from developing the site into a massive operation in the future.
He wrote: "The application does not involve the extraction of a large tonnage of mineral for aggregate use."
It is estimated that there will be a maximum of ten lorry journeys a week and 750 tonnes of transport will be mined a year.
He added: "At a time when local sandstone formed the main construction material for the Malton locality, substantial workings took place and at one time stone was exported from the site by means of tramway and navigation on the River Derwent.
"No workings have taken place during the operation of planning legislation since 1948 and probably a good few decades previously."
Estate officials have confirmed that they want to reopen the quarry for "low-key extraction" and use the stone to restore historic buildings in the town.
Currently, stone used to repair Malton's architecture is brought in from West Yorkshire but estate bosses say this is not the same quality as the native stone.
Stone blocks will be lifted from the quarry using hydraulic equipment and then transported away to be cut.
Estate manager Roddy Bushell said there would be no blasting.
He said: "It's part of the Estate's commitment to repairing buildings in the town using traditional methods of repair - as seen by the running of building industry training days held this year in the use of lime and the conservation of stone - combined with the most appropriate materials.
"This represents an attention to detail that is rarely seen in the construction industry and is a mark of respect that the Estate has for the quality and heritage of the buildings in Malton."
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