Hawksworth Quarry near Guiseley is criticised for ‘cavalier attitude’ to planning rules

Local residents say the way that Hawksworth Quarry is being run by Whitelock Plant Ltd upsets their daily lives. The stone mining site near Guiseley broke its weekly limit of 220 HGV journeys in and out of the quarry, Leeds City Council officers told a recent planning meeting.

A quarry representative said the site had never run “an average” of more than 220 weekly journeys across a calendar year but conceded that the cap is supposed to be a weekly one. The revelations came as the quarry won planning permission to install an industrial-size filter press at the site, which would help it recycle more water.

Objectors fear it will lead to extended hours of operation and will be visible from Hawksworth village.

Planning officer Steve Littlejohn said: “Due to the constricted nature of Hawksworth, Main Street, HGV movements are limited to 220 a week. This limit is currently being breached and enforcement action remains ongoing.”

A council planning report detailed how the quarry is under investigation for four other potential breaches, including one that it operated over an Easter weekend. The report also outlined 15 other allegations against the site in previous years. Five were explicitly marked by the council as having resulted in a breach.

Speaking on behalf of the residents-led Hawksworth Quarry Monitoring Group, Dr Jerry Alderson said: “The group’s aim is not to close or hinder the lawful running of the quarry. We do, however, expect it to be run in accordance with the existing planning conditions and with respect for the amenity of the area and daily lives of residents.

“Residents would take little interest in the workings of the quarry if those workings did not impinge negatively on their daily lives.”

Asked by councillors about the planning breach, Whitelock’s agent John Carlon said: “Our traffic limit of 110 movements in and out per week – this quarry has never gone over the average of that for the whole of the year.”

Mr Carlon claimed there was “an interpretation” that water could be transported to and from the site, in addition to the 220 limit, but said the new press filter would “eradicate” that need.

Asked by Labour councillor Jools Heselwood if the quarry was exceeding the limit, Mr Carlon replied: “Not necessarily, no. Not every week we’re not, no.”

To laughter from villagers in the public gallery, he added: “It depends, some weeks it’s only 30 (movements). This time of year, it doesn’t get light until 8.30am and it gets dark at 3.30pm, so you’re not going to have many aggregates wagons running in the dark. But in the summer you will get more. So that’s why I was talking about the annualised numbers.”

Coun Heselwood replied: “But it’s a weekly limit.”

“I agree with you,” Mr Carlon responded.

Councillors approved the application for the press filter by a majority vote, though they insisted on a tightening up of the conditions placed upon the quarry’s activities. Liberal Democrat councillor Colin Campbell said that would stop the quarry interpreting the rules “flexibly” to the detriment of the community.

He said: “I can’t remember a site with more enforcement cases either pending or covered. If we’re giving planning permission for this, and I can’t think of a reason we shouldn’t, we need to ensure the conditions are rock solid unambiguous. I’m quite happy (to approve the application), notwithstanding my concerns at the somewhat cavalier attitude of the owner.”