Bid to extend life of quarry to 2040

PLANS have been submitted to extend the life of a controversial quarry which lies on the borders of Halton for another 15 years.

- BY MARK SMITH, LOCAL DEMOCRACY REPORTER

A Bold Heath Quarry access road (left) off South Lane in Widnes

An application to extract 1.06 million cubic meters of sandstone from Bold Heath Quarry were originally submitted in 2009 and resulted in a fierce backlash from residents and the then Conservative councillors in north Widnes due to concerns over HGV traffic.

With the site itself being in St Helens, the scheme was initially thrown out by St Helens Council but went through following a planning appeal, with permission granted for it to operate for 16 years.

But owner D Morgan PLC has submitted an application to extend the life of the quarry on South Lane until 2040 and Halton Council is currently being consulted as a neighbouring authority.