On page 65 of the Gazette & Herald of January 7, there was an interesting item about Whitewall Quarry.

In 1975, 40 years ago, the quarry was working on an unauthorised seven acres of land. Previously this had been situated in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Following reorganisation in 1974, it came under the jurisdiction of North Yorkshire County Council.

Stringent conditions and eventual landscaping and restoration conditions were imposed. They were allowed to continue working the seven acres, but on completion of this, no further development was to be allowed.

In 2015, 40 years later, our towns are still blighted with a constant flow of increasingly heavy lorries, causing untold damage to our roads and infrastructure along with noise and air pollution.

In March 2014, Ryedale District Council expressed concern by voting unanimously against continuing development of this site.

It is my opinion that Watts, the owners, have not complied with previous terms and conditions and I say there has been an unauthorised breach of planning control.

In my opinion it seems that North Yorkshire County Council, by avoiding making a decision in recent years, is complicit in allowing flouting of previously laid-down terms and conditions and the unauthorised breach of planning controls.

We are told that Government policy is to enable people to have a say on local planning issues. When reading the local press there seems to be little evidence of this in Ryedale on many issues.

Hilary Jenkins, Norton