Decades more for quarry as expansion is approved

A MAJOR quarry can remain in operation until 2056 after major expansion plans were approved.

- DANIEL MUMBY Local democracy journalist

Moons Hill Quarry lies off Long Cross Bottom near Stoke St. Michael, a few miles northeast of Shepton Mallet.

The quarry, which is run by John Wainwright & Co. Ltd., is a major source of silurian andesite, a material highly in demand for road surfacing both in Somerset and across the south of England.

A review of Somerset Council's Minerals Plan in August 2024 identified that the quarry would need to expand in the ensuing years to meet demand both within the county and further afield.

‘The quarry originally had permission to remain in operational until 2042 on its existing footprint, after which the landscape would be restored in line with both national and local planning policies.

But Somerset Council’s strategic planning committee has approved plans to expand the quarry to the west, allowing it to operate for a further 14 years and protecting around 200 local jobs in the process.