Fury over bid to extend life of 'dormant' quarry in area of outstanding natural beauty
The debate will take place on Wednesday (July 16) when Denbighshire County Council councillors will discuss Tarmac Trading Ltd's Section 73 application, which if granted could allow the company to continue working at Burley Hill Quarry for 15 years.
The quarry on Pant Du Road, Eryrys, near Mold, was originally granted planning permission in 1950 until December 13, 2021, and now the company wants permission to continue extracting 3.8m tonnes of limestone. But those against the development cite noise, heavy traffic, damage to the environment, and disturbance as reasons to reject the plans.
Others have raised concerns about the damage to tourism. The debate has twice been delayed by the planning committee in March and April, following councillors voting to defer t he application to allow further public consultation. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox.
But planning officers are recommending the committee grants permission, despite widespread objections from residents and community councils. Llanferres Community Council, Llanarmon-yn-Iâl Community Council, Nercwys Community Council, and Mold Town Council all object to the proposals.
So too does the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) joint advisory committee, as well as Madra and Ramblers Cymru. Senedd members Sam Rowland, Carolyn Thomas, Darren Millar, Lyr Gruffydd, Hannah Blythyn, and Mark Isherwood have all raised major concerns.
Speaking today (Friday), Darren Millar MS said: 'The reasons for refusing this application are plentiful, and I am not surprised that so many residents are up in arms against the application. Llanferres Community Council have set up a petition against the proposals which has been signed by almost 400 people. The quarry closed 20 years ago, and there has been a lot of change in the area since then with many new businesses, many of which rely on tourism to thrive.
'We need to protect local residents and businesses, from noise and pollution, and safeguard road safety along the route from Pant Du, through Nercwys and into Mold.' He added: 'Opposing reopening the quarry will also protect important wildlife habitats and help to maintain the environment in the Clwydian Range Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. An extension to this quarry would be severely detrimental to the local area.'
A letter sent to Denbighshire from Llanarmon yn iâl Community Council reads: 'As the site is located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with narrow roads, a further 15 years of extraction would cause unacceptable disruption.
'The woods were divided into plots, and the offices are now used as holiday accommodation; this holiday accommodation is now too close to the quarry. Since Hendre Quarry (in Flintshire) has gained planning permission for a large extension, it would now enable a good supply of better-quality stone.'
The AONB Joint Advisory Committee also wrote to the council. The letter said: 'Reopening the quarry and extending its life for a further 15 years will have a significant adverse impact on local tranquillity through an increase in noise, heavy traffic, and a general increase in activity and disturbance associated with quarrying operations.'
But planning officers say that if the quarry is refused permission, 'reserves would remain unworked, and the minerals would be required to be acquired elsewhere', and this would have 'implications for the continuity of aggregate supplies in Denbighshire, northeast Wales, and beyond into the North West Region of England'.
A planning statement added: 'It is therefore considered that there is a demonstrable need for the mineral which would outweigh any temporary harm to the tranquillity of the AONB, which can be mitigated. Whilst it is considered that there would be an impact on tranquillity, it would not undermine the natural beauty of the AONB, given the limited time and frequency of the proposed campaign events.
'Furthermore, the proposed operations would be at a lesser intensity with a reduced output level compared to that of when the site was operational pre-2005 when the AONB designation was in place. Therefore, the impact on tranquillity alone would not justify a reason for refusal of this extension-of-time application and as such, on balance, planning permission should be granted.' The planning meeting takes place on Wednesday 16 July at Ruthin County Hall HQ.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Leader Live
6 days ago
- Leader Live
Bid to extend life of Burley Hill Quarry near Mold rejected
Meeting at County Hall in Ruthin, planning committee members voted to reject Tarmac Trading Ltd's application to continue working Burley Hill Quarry, near Mold, for another 15 years. The proposal, which sought to extend operations without increasing the site's boundaries or the volume of mineral extracted, was refused by 15 votes to three. Tiffany Cox, a chartered surveyor who has worked with Tarmac for eight years, defended the application, telling councillors it was 'simply an extension of time to allow the approved, consented limestone'. She insisted that 'no further land would be disturbed' and argued the limestone was essential for infrastructure. 'Unlike other forms of development, minerals can only be worked where they are found and are essential to build our roads, houses, and other infrastructure,' she said. 'The limestone at Burley already forms part of the landbank, and if this application were refused, the landbank would need to be replenished by extensions at other sites or through the approval of entirely new greenfield quarries.' Despite officers recommending approval, citing the economic need, the proposal faced opposition from residents, community councils, environmental groups, and Senedd Members. But Cllr Alan James proposed approving the application, calling it 'extremely difficult' but acknowledging: 'We clearly have a need.' Cllr Ellie Chard seconded this, adding: 'I feel that we do have to have a landbank… I'm sorry, we need it for our roads and housing, so we do have to have it for Denbighshire and Flintshire, the quantities that we need.' Tarmac Trading Ltd have applied tp Denbighshire County Council with a Section 73 application, which if granted could allow the company to continue working at Burley Hill Quarry for 15 years.. But several councillors spoke strongly against the plan. Cllr Andrea Tomlin argued that 'tranquillity is difficult to measure'. She added: 'I think we get that (sense of need) from the locals, not from the report or paper definition.' She then warned that granting permission would be 'to the detriment of the amenity'. Alyn Valley member Cllr Terry Mendies opposed the plans. 'This is a classic case of common sense prevailing,' he said. 'Look at the residents' objections; the Senedd Members. 'Very succinctly, I would urge members to vote against this.' Cllr Mendies then formally proposed refusal, citing the 'unacceptable impact' on the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the weight of formal objections. The committee also heard that, if rejected, the applicant could appeal the decision, and that the restoration of the site would be required if it were refused. The proposal had sparked fierce opposition in the run-up to the meeting. The Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB Joint Advisory Committee, four local community councils, Madra, Ramblers Cymru, and Senedd Members including Sam Rowlands, Carolyn Thomas, Darren Millar, Llyr Gruffydd, Hannah Blythyn, and Mark Isherwood all raised significant concerns, citing environmental harm, traffic, noise, and damage to tourism. The debate had been delayed twice previously to allow further public consultation. In the end, councillors sided with the objectors, delivering a resounding rejection of the plans, with 15 votes to three. Clwyd West MS Darren Millar welcomed the refusal to extend the life of Burley Hill Quarry, Eryrys. He said: 'I am pleased that common sense has prevailed, and that the majority of planning committee members listened to the concerns raised by the local community and could see the detrimental impact this would have had on the area. Read more 'Residents, Llanferres Community Council, Llanarmon-yn-Iâl Community Council, Nercwys Community Council, and Mold Town Council all opposed the plans, as did the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) joint advisory committee as well as Madra and Ramblers Cymru. 'I thank Cllr Terry Mendies for putting forward the proposal for refusal, I know he has been working hard with the local community in recent years to oppose this application. 'I also thank all other planning committee members who supported his recommendation and voted against the application. 'The dormant quarry is situated in a designated area of outstanding natural beauty, bringing it back into use would have caused much disruption and had a detrimental affect on tourism to the area. Today's outcome is therefore fantastic news!'
North Wales Live
18-07-2025
- North Wales Live
Controversial plan to reopen quarry in North Wales beauty spot thrown out
A controversial bid to extend the life of a dormant limestone quarry in a protected beauty spot has been thrown out by Denbighshire councillors. Meeting at County Hall in Ruthin this week, planning committee members voted to reject Tarmac Trading Ltd's application to continue working Burley Hill Quarry, near Mold, for another 15 years. The proposal, which sought to extend operations without increasing the site's boundaries or the volume of mineral extracted, was refused by 15 votes to three. Tiffany Cox, a chartered surveyor who has worked with Tarmac for eight years, defended the application, telling councillors it was 'simply an extension of time to allow the approved, consented limestone". She insisted that 'no further land would be disturbed' and argued the limestone was essential for infrastructure. 'Unlike other forms of development, minerals can only be worked where they are found and are essential to build our roads, houses, and other infrastructure,' she said. S ign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox. 'The limestone at Burley already forms part of the landbank, and if this application were refused, the landbank would need to be replenished by extensions at other sites or through the approval of entirely new greenfield quarries.' Despite officers recommending approval, citing the economic need, the proposal faced opposition from residents, community councils, environmental groups, and Senedd Members. But Cllr Alan James proposed approving the application, calling it 'extremely difficult' but acknowledging: 'We clearly have a need.' Cllr Ellie Chard seconded this, adding: 'I feel that we do have to have a landbank... I'm sorry, we need it for our roads and housing, so we do have to have it for Denbighshire and Flintshire, the quantities that we need.' But several councillors spoke strongly against the plan. Cllr Andrea Tomlin argued that 'tranquillity is difficult to measure'. She added: 'I think we get that (sense of need) from the locals, not from the report or paper definition.' She then warned that granting permission would be 'to the detriment of the amenity'. Alyn Valley member Cllr Terry Mendies opposed the plans. 'This is a classic case of common sense prevailing,' he said. 'Look at the residents' objections; the Senedd Members. Very succinctly, I would urge members to vote against this.' Cllr Mendies then formally proposed refusal, citing the 'unacceptable impact' on the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the weight of formal objections. The committee also heard that, if rejected, the applicant could appeal the decision, and that the restoration of the site would be required if it were refused. The proposal had sparked fierce opposition in the run-up to the meeting. The Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB Joint Advisory Committee, four local community councils, Madra, Ramblers Cymru, and Senedd Members including Sam Rowlands, Carolyn Thomas, Darren Millar, Llyr Gruffydd, Hannah Blythyn, and Mark Isherwood all raised significant concerns, citing environmental harm, traffic, noise, and damage to tourism. The debate had been delayed twice previously to allow further public consultation. In the end, councillors sided with the objectors, delivering a resounding rejection of the plans, with 15 votes to three. Public notices in your area
North Wales Live
16-07-2025
- North Wales Live
Caravan park found to have no planning permission after making expansion bid
A caravan park's bid to expand led to the discovery that planning permission did not exist for the site. A planning application was lodged with Cyngor Gwynedd to expand the Berth Ddu caravan park near Abersoch to allow 15 touring caravans on the site. There are seven plots currently on the site, at Bwlchtocyn. However, planning bosses found that the site had only ever had permission for five caravans through an exemption certificate. Get all the latest Gwynedd news by signing up to our newsletter - sent every Tuesday This certificate had expired, meaning there was no planning permission in place for the site to operate. Planners therefore considered the site on the basis of it being a new development, and turned it down during a meeting on Monday [July 14]. The application, submitted by John Evans, of Evans Caravan & Camping Ltd, was for a patch of prime agricultural land in the Llŷn Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Llŷn and Enlli Landscape of Outstanding Historic Interest. The proposed site had also been graded as "Class II good quality agricultural land," considered among the "best and most versatile" which should be "protected as a finite resource for the future," planning officer Sian Dafydd said. She told the meeting: "It does not appear that any planning permission exists for the caravans on the site. "During the site inspection we found that a Caravan and Motorhome Club certified venue sign was on display here. "However, having made enquiries, confirmation was received that there is no longer an exemption certificate for the site. "In reality, therefore, this is not an application to extend an existing site; instead, it is an application for a new touring caravan site for 15 caravans." The application was therefore submitted to the committee, as it concerned a development on a site of 0.5 hectares or more. The officer had described how it was considered "contrary" to various policy and planning considerations. Among issues was that the quality of landscaping of the site was considered generally "weak," and the site was likely to be prominent from a road, footpaths, and higher ground and have an impact on the AONB. The applicant had proposed landscape screening, but it was considered that this would take several years to be adequate, and "doubtful" in the short term. Policy had called for sites to be located in a "non-intrusive location, well concealed by landscape features, and not causing harm to the visual quality of the landscape within the AONB". The AONB Unit had felt there were a "substantial number of touring caravans around Sarn Bach/Bwlchtocyn, putting pressure on the AONB and local environment and services". The plans had also prompted objections by Welsh countryside protection campaigners. A report had noted that the site could offer "a positive contribution to the local economy, additional employment for locals and help support and sustain local shops, pubs and cafes". However the planning officer said it was felt the caravans would not "blend easily into the landscape" and be "detrimental to the visual quality of the landscape" and "not contribute to conserving or enhancing or restoring the character of the Llŷn Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty". She also noted "a lack of evidence submitted" to show that "full consideration" had been give to losing the high grade agricultural land. Cllr Edgar Wyn Owen said: "It stands out, there was an agreement for five caravans previously. "There were seven there, so there were two which should not have been there, and there's no agreement now.
