Quarry plans on hold
Castle Cement’s plans to import limestone to a quarry site are on hold.
Castle Cement wants to import 50,000t of stone into its Ketton site.
An initial planning application was to import 250,000tpa of limestone, which could have meant about 32 trucks a day travelling through Tinwell and Ketton before the figure was revised.
The firm says it is now exploring other options and has asked for the planning application to be put on hold.
A public meeting was due to take place in Ketton tonight and had been arragned by Ketton Parish Council to allow villagers to voice any concerns about an increase in lorries visiting the village.
But because Castle Cement has decided to amend the scheme before it is considered by Rutland County Council the consultation meeting will be held when plans are finalised.
The company has waited eight years for permission to divert a public footpath from part of the quarry, which it has not been able to use in the meantime. It now has that permission but will need two to three years to prepare the area for extraction, so needs to improt limestone while the preparations are carried out.
Gareth Price, general manager of Castle Cement, said: "We have been very much aware of the concerns of local residents and have have been looking at alternative solutions to the importation of stone.
"An opportunity has presented itself which we need to explore further. We have asked for a delay to the planning application while we investigate this. "
County councillor for Ketton Barrie Roper said: "It is encouraging that the concerns of the local communities have kept the matter a high priority to the company and they have been seeking to explore all avenues.
"We hope the outcome is positive."
Published under Cement News
