LOCAL conservation group, The Dartmoor Society, has expressed its support for plans to expand Yennadon Quarry.

The group claims that the expansion is critical in saving 27 jobs at the site, which provides stone for a wide area of West Devon.

It also argues that the scale proposed will add character to the landscape and maintain the historical value of Dartmoor.

Despite this support, local residents have accused developers of submitting the planning application during the summer in an attempt to minimise publicity, having already had similar plans rejected in 2014.

The previous application received 92 letters of objection including those from The Dartmoor Commoners’ Council, Dartmoor National Park Trees and Landscape Association, Yennadon Association and Dartmoor Preservation Association.

With a membership of 450 people, The Dartmoor Society has been running for more than 17 years and hopes to provide a voice for individuals who find Dartmoor a source of livelihood or inspiration.

Dr Tom Greeves, chairman of The Dartmoor Society said: ‘It is essentially a small scale quarry and expansion should be encouraged, it provides employment, the product is good and it helps the local economy.’

‘The stone produced by Yennadon Quarry saves the stone from Lantoom Quarry travelling many miles, therefore I feel the expansion is highly appropriate.’

But Mike Finn, whose home is 90 metres from the edge of the proposed quarry, has emailed objectors to the previous application to raise awareness of the proposals. 

Mr Finn believes that the application was timed as ‘a deliberate back door way of applying for permission when as few people as possible are aware of the application and will not object — just as the school holidays begin and when we are all busy arranging other things’.

Mr Finn has also accused the developers of taking sound surveys on a bank holiday when the quarry was not working to try and make the impact appear less than it was.

Lantoom Ltd, which extracts Cornish slate and granite from Lantoom Quarry, near Liskeard, providing stone to businesses and individuals across the UK, agreed with the National Park Authority’s decision last year to reject plans.

Richard Crocker, managing director at Lantoom Ltd said: ‘The facts are that it is the same application, nothing substantial has changed.

‘The developers have outlined weak reasons to support the application, for example, they want to develop sustainability but they have been working very unsustainably and exploiting the natural resources at the quarry.

‘The obvious response is to refuse the quarry expansion and reduce the activity to let it be what it is supposed to be.’

No-one from Yennadon Quarry was available to comment as the Times went to press yesterday (Wednesday).

A meeting to review public responses to the planning application will be held on August 20 at 7.30pm in Walkhampton Memorial Hall.

l See Letters, page 6