Stanley Ferry to host West Yorkshire's only sand quarry next to Aire and Calder Navigation canal

Around 1.6million tonnes of materials will be mined across 22 hectares next to the Aire and Calder Navigation in Stanley Ferry for the next decade.

The quarry, which will be the only one of its kind in West Yorkshire, was given planning permission on Thursday.

The sand and gravel will be taken away from the site on barges travelling down the canal to Dewsbury and Leeds, rather than by heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) on the road.

After 11 years, developers say they'll convert the site into a nature conservation area with two fishing lakes .

However, the scheme was criticised by neighbouring residents, one of whom claimed the loss of green space would affect the mental health of people living in the area.

Stanley and Outwood East councillor Matthew Morley also objected, insisting that there’d be a long-term impact on the environment.

Speaking at the planning committee meeting where the matter was decided, Coun Morley said: "The fact is this will last 11 years but the people of Stanley and Altofts will have to live with this for many, many years to come.

“It’s a beautiful site already and I’m not sure what benefits two lakes at the end of it is going to bring.

“I’ve seen a similar scheme over at Methley and I’m not sure what that brings, other than wooden fences and large signs saying ‘Deep water, keep out’.

"I have massive concerns about this."

The developers behind the scheme, Wakefield Sand and Gravel Ltd, were set up last year, according to Companies House, and are headquartered in Dewsbury.

Their representative, Chris Ballam, told the meeting that the work would cease on site on windy days to prevent dust pollution.

The company has also agreed to cut the working hours they’d originally proposed following complaints about potential noise.

The quarry will run from between 8am and 6pm on weekdays and from 8.30am until 1.30pm on Saturdays.

Mr Ballam said: “West Yorkshire is very short of sand and gravel resources. "Currently most sand and gravel has to be brought in by road from outside the county.

“Mineral products are essential to provide the infrastructure needed by society, such as houses and roads.

“There are few sites where extraction would be either viable or environmentally acceptable."

Mr Ballam stopped short of guaranteeing the project would be completed, but said it would be “unusual” for it not to finish.

He added that if mining stopped part way through the 11 years, a new plan to restore the site would be put forward.

Concerns were also raised that the company could potentially ask for permission to use HGVs instead of barges to ferry the substances off the site in years to come.

But the committee was told that scenario was hypothetical, and could not be taken into account when deciding the current application.

The scheme was approved by 12 votes to two.

Local Democracy Reporting Service