Montcliffe Quarry
Planning Applications

Decision: approved subject to conditions, including end date of 10 years from date of decision. Supplemental 106 Agreement which appears to deal with land ownership issues (Bolton Council, GCN and ARC Limited).

Approved with conditions (0 documents on Bolton Council's website).

The application was for an extension of time to the existing planning permission (72520/05), by varying condition 2 of that consent. This would extend the period of working the consented minerals by 9 years from 21st September 2011 to 21st September 2020, and would allow for the extraction of 1.4m tonnes of mineral which would otherwise remain un-worked and effectively sterilised. In addition, the application proposed to amend the date for restoration of the quarry with completion by 21st September 2022.

Decision: approved with conditions including end date 9 years from decision dated 20/02/2012.

In July 2013, an independently carried out inspection of Montcliffe Quarry (in accordance with the Quarry Regulations 1999) found that the north eastern face of the quarry was unsafe. A number of loose rocks and boulders had been falling from height into the base of the quarry on a regular basis, which was making the area unsafe for quarry operatives.

To rectify this health and safety issue (to make the north eastern face safe) the applicant proposed to re-profile the north eastern face of the quarry. It was proposed to create a series of five 14-15 metre high benches, each 17 metres wide and the length of the face, with a 2 metre rock trap facility. A rock trap facility is a small mound on the edge of each bench designed to prevent loose or falling rocks passing over the edge of the bench. The proposed re-profiling would cover an area of 3.4 hectares.

The re-profiling would continue alongside existing quarry operations, beginning with works to the top bench and moving inwards towards the quarry base. The proposed haul roads (to be used in the undertaking of the works) would be internal to the quarry site. The top of the quarry (above the top bench) would be graded to a 1:3 profile. The mineral extracted from the re-profiling would be transported to the existing mobile crushing and screening area in the base of the quarry, where it would be processed and placed into stockpiles.

Officers Report: Due to the nature of proposed re-profiling of the north eastern face, mineral will need to be extracted to create the five benches. The applicant has stated that the proposed re-profiling work would yield some 1.4 million tonnes of mineral, mainly aggregate with a small portion of blockstone (dimension stone). This will be processed within the existing facilities at the quarry.

The Mineral and Waste Planning Unit have been consulted on the application and they have confirmed that there is a need to maintain a landbank of aggregates and Montcliffe Quarry is a contributor. They consider that the extra extraction at the quarry, as a result of the proposed re-profiling, would contribute to the aims of the Greater Manchester Joint Minerals Plan, which aims to ensure an adequate supply of an aggregate landbank to support growth both locally and regionally.

Approved: The extraction of mineral from the north eastern face of the Montcliffe Quarry ceasing not later than 20th February 2021 and the site shall then be restored in accordance with the conditions of the permission and in any event within a further period of two years from the cessation of extractive operations, whichever is the earlier.

The approved end-date of 20th February 2021 has now passed with operations far from complete. A further planning application 10395/21 Fri 5 Feb 2021 (below) has now been submitted requesting a new end-date some time in 2031.

Officers Report: The current planning permissions for Montcliffe Quarry (86368/11 and 93076/14) allow for mineral extraction at the quarry until 20th February 2021 (conditioned within condition 2 of both applications). The applicant is now proposing to vary condition 2 of planning approval 86368/11 to allow an extension of the end-date until 20th February 2033 for the extraction of the permitted reserves at the quarry and for the phased restoration of the quarry (an additional 12 years). The applicant has stated that they are applying for this extended end-date, "... to allow sufficient time for the essential (HSE required) re-profiling of the north-eastern face of Montcliffe Quarry, the full extraction of remaining already permitted reserves, and the proper restoration of the quarry."

The applicant was granted permission at Committee in February 2015 for the re-profiling and extension of the quarry at the north-eastern face (under application 93076/14). At this time the applicant had expected (and stated within their submission) that the quarrying operations would continue at the existing extraction rate without interruption to the permitted end-date of 20th February 2021. The applicant has now however confirmed that the work involved in re-profiling the north-eastern face has resulted in a lower rate of extraction of the permitted reserves from the floor of the quarry, and this has been coupled with a decline in the market which has also dictated a downturn in the rate of extraction. The applicant now predicts a daily extraction rate of 550 tonnes instead of the 910 tonnes per day (as anticipated during the determination of application 93076/14), hence the requirement to extend the end-date for the quarry operations.

Seven letters of objection.

Application approved subject to conditions (including HGV movements, dust control, noise monitoring once a quarter for a one hour period on any working day 3 metres from named properties and submitted to the Mineral Planning Authority).

Originally 48 letters of objection.

Officers recommended approval on 09 Feb 2021. Further objections made, making 92 in total.

On Bolton Council Planning Committee agenda for 18 Feb 2021. Item deferred on 16 Feb 2021 to allow Horwich Town Council Planning Committee to debate the application on 18 Feb 2021 (objected). On 4th March 2021 the application was unanimously refused.

Application refused by Bolton Council Planning Committee, Fri 26 June 2020. Enforcement Notice served, Weds 26 May 2021. Applicant's Planning Appeal allowed, Weds 02 Feb 2022.

The Planning Inspector for the appeal concluded that: The works that have been carried out are not inappropriate development, do not compromise any of the purposes of including land in the Green Belt, do not materially affect the openness of the Green Belt, and do not conflict with policies in the BAP. [Bolton's Allocations Plan]

Amongst other things, links Montcliffe Quarry and Pilkington Quarry via an already concreted 'Masterplan Area' between the two to reduce HGV traffic on George's Lane.

Officers recommended approval 01/04/2021. No decision yet reported on Bolton Council's website (19/02/2022).

Horwich Town Council: refusal, concerns about effect on neighbouring residents due to increased vehicle movements, noise and vibration, removal of screening mound, impact on footpaths/public rights of way, effect of pollution on nearby SSSI as site expands, development of site not being looked at holistically.

Stated by applicant as due to wet weather and Covid-19 restrictions.

The application states: "a resubmission of planning application 05250/19 which was refused on the 4th March 2021. In line with the officer recommendation of the previous application, the applicant believes that the proposed development complies with national and local policy and is an acceptable development."

Appeal lodged 27 May 2021. No information yet available. Understood to be an appeal against Bolton Council's refusal of 05250/19, APPLICATION FOR A LATERAL NORTHERLY EXTENSION TO THE EXISTING QUARRY IN ORDER TO FACILITATE THE EXTRACTION OF GRITSTONE FOR THE PURPOSE OF PRODUCING HIGH GRADE STONE AND AGGREGATES.

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