Councillor loses quarry fight

Councillor loses quarry fight

The councillors live very close to the quarry

A High Court judge has upheld controversial plans to extend Ripon City Quarry.

He also rejected claims that North Yorkshire councillor Paul Richardson was unfairly barred from a council meeting to discuss the scheme.

Mr Justice Richards dismissed the allegation and upheld the council's June 2002 decision to grant planning consent for the scheme.

The judge also rejected claims there had been no adequate environmental impact assessment before planning consent was granted.

Crucial meeting

Mr Richardson, councillor for Masham and Fountains, lives in Littlethorpe, just 250 metres from the quarry site.

Joining him in his High Court challenge to the scheme was parish councillor, Wendy Orme.

The judge rejected claims Mr Richardson had been "instructed to withdraw" from the crucial meeting of the council's planning and regulatory functions committee - although he had been "advised" to do so.

That advice, the judge added, had been correct as Mr Richardson did indeed have a "prejudicial" and "personal" interest in the issue because he lives near the site.

The judge did uphold criticisms of the council based on its "clear failure" to make the main reasons for its decision immediately available for public inspection on the register.