FEARS regarding heavy quarry lorries meeting at speed have sparked objections to a new plan for stone extraction near Denholme.

And there are also concerns for potential harm to a rare birds’ nest at the Buck Park site.

Quarry owner P Casey (Buck Park) Ltd wants to dig out half-a-million cubic metres of stone during a five-year period, followed by restoration of the land using inert infill created by the quarrying.

Bradford Council officers are recommending planners approve the scheme, subject to a range of strict conditions surrounding work at the quarry.

A council officer’s report said the proposal was a “sustainable development”.

But an increase in heavy traffic heading to a modified junction of the A629 on to Whalley Lane is a key issue for Denholme Town Council, which has lodged an objection because it wants traffic to slow down to 20mph at this section of the road.

“We are concerned about access, and although the idea is to drop from 60mph to 30mph, that would still mean wagons meeting at a narrow pinch-point at speed,” said Denholme Mayor, Cllr Steve Nunn.

In its statement to Bradford Council’s regulatory and appeals committee, which meets today, the town council says: “Whilst Denholme Town Council is keen to finally see some restoration works undertaken at Buck Park quarry, we are objecting to this latest application on the grounds of the inadequacy of the traffic assessment and traffic statement produced by the applicant.

“We feel amendments to the layout of the junction of the A629 and Whalley Lane are an improvement. However, we feel that the increase in the traffic flow warrants a reduction in the speed limit to 20mph in Whalley Lane, for the short distance from the junction with the A629 to the new entrance to the quarry.”

Cllr Nunn said they were also worried rare birds could be deterred from breeding, but the RSPB is now happy with proposals for a 20-metre buffer zone to shield the birds from disruption.

Cullingworth Village Council has recommended the plans be refused due to the impact on village life.

It said: “Cullingworth residents have endured decades of the negative impact quarrying and stone yard operations may have upon the environment and quality of life of residents.

“An identical application in 2010 was refused, the subsequent appeal in 2012 was dismissed.

“The reasons for dismissal are as relevant today as they were then.”

Letters from the public are also overwhelmingly against the plan.

District ward councillor, Simon Cooke, said he was “not particularly keen on another application to extract aggregate”.

But he added: “Buck Park is one of those perennial problems, which needs to be sorted out.”