'Catastrophic' Rudd Quarry extension plans rejected again after campaigners object

Campaigners protested outside Wakefield County Hall before a previous application by Braithwaites was dismissed in 2018.

Braithwaites Excavations, who are based at Rudd Quarry between Normanton and Altofts, mine raw materials for bricks. The company wanted to extend their operations to a farmer's field to the north of its current site and carry out work until 2026.

But Wakefield Council rejected the application after objections from neighbours, who say the local infrastructure is struggling to cope with HGVs running to and from the site.

Concerns were also expressed about dust from the quarry polluting the atmosphere around nearby Altofts Junior School.

The plans had been supported by six industrial businesses with connections to brick manufacturing.

A previous application by Braithwaites to expand and mine the field until 2032 was rejected in late 2018.

Speaking at a planning committee meeting on Thursday, resident Helen Thompson said the proposal would have a "catastrophic" effect on people's lives if it was approved.

She told councillors: "I’ve lived in Altofts my whole life, but I represent people who’ve moved here more recently, older people wishing to enjoy their later years and a whole cross section of the community.

"We were over the moon when you unanimously rejected planning consent (in 2018) and we were relieved that we’d won our battle on the evidence we’d worked so hard to collect.

"That’s why we're so disappointed to be back here today.

"How much money the expansion could make should not override the needs of the local community, who simply want to walk their dogs, go to the park, or go to the doctor's."

Mrs Thompson accused Braithwaites of "not caring" about the residents of Altofts and Normanton and said company chiefs had declined to attend meetings about the issue.

Although it was said residents were invited to meet the firm's boss at the quarry itself, Mrs Thompson added, "We felt they should come to us".

She also said the firm had "massaged" figures detailing traffic levels on Newland Road, which runs to the site.

The council's highways officers confirmed suggestions made in the meeting that the road, part of which is privately owned, is in poor condition, but said there was no prospect of them closing it to traffic.

Braithwaites' application was supported by six industrial businesses.

It had offered to limit the number of HGVs travelling to and from the site to 40 a day, or 8,000 a year.

But nobody from the company appeared at the meeting to promote the application, which drew strong criticism from members of the planning committee.

They voted unanimously to reject the plans, prompting cheers and applause in the public gallery.

Local Democracy Reporting Service