A proposal to extend a quarry in Somerset to produce an extra 115Mt of limestone has been approved by county councillors - but only on the casting vote of the committee chairman.Aggregate Industries has been allowed to deepen its Torr Works site by 112m and extend the permitted time period for extraction by ten years to 2040, on condition that half the current output from the site is carried by rail and not road.The company claims the extension will protect 250 jobs in the area and provide stone worth more than ￡1.1 billion. But the Campaign to Protect Rural England and local residents had objected because of the effect on the water table, while there were also concerns about the possible effect on the hot springs at Bath.
展开▼
