Housing remains key to future of quarry

Relief: Birks Quarry.

COUNCILLORS conditionally approved plans to convert the unused Birks Quarry site into a residential area.

The site, off the main A62 Oldham-Huddersfield Road is surrounded by residential properties and countryside.

The housing scheme proposed to build up to 36 houses within the quarry however it was considered that the scheme would have too much of a visual impact upon the area and needed a traffic management system in place.

So the council is now waiting upon information on how the site will effect the visuals of the area and a traffic management system to approve the proposal.

A rejection would have raised concerns with local residents who feared it may be used as a landfill site instead.

Councillor Adrian Alexander said: "A number of resident are concerned.

"There will be introduced another application to tip the site.

"If housing is not approved I am sure another application for a tip licence will come.

"It may be a first for the Parish Council that they support a housing development of this size!!

The locals have campaigned for 28 years against planning permission that would allow 800,000 tons of waste at the site.

Stone extraction from the site ended in the 1970's and even before that the work carried out there was not intensive and so it is disused.

Alan Chorlton, the applicant, said: "We feel that the proposals are right for the area.

"The heath land above the quarry will be protected.

"The strong support from the residents was expected as it would remove the threat of another tipping application."

Councillor Joy Wrigglesworth added that despite concerns there would be a visual impact, the inside of the quarry from the road was well hidden.

She said: "I know the area very well, when we talk a site needing a plan of what it is going to look like, anyone using Huddersfield Road will know the quarry is well hidden."