A SLOWDOWN in production due to the economic downturn has led to the country's largest sustainable materials and construction company to look at extending the life of a South Lakeland limestone quarry.

Tarmac is inviting local residents to view its proposals for the future of Sandside Quarry on Wednesday (Oct 11) at Heron Hall on Shaw Lane, Storth, between 3pm and 8pm.

The company currently has planning consent for the continuation of the extraction of limestone at Sandside Quarry until 2020. However, economic uncertainty has meant that the extraction of these permitted reserves will not be completed in the next three years.

Tarmac is therefore submitting a planning application with Cumbria County Council to seek permission to extend the extraction date from 2020 until June 2029.

If granted it would enable the quarry to serve the demand for materials for the local construction market and support major projects across Cumbria. It would also secure 12 full-time jobs for a further nine years, as well as between 10 and 20 indirect jobs with contractors and hauliers.

A company spokesman said that the application does not seek to change the working hours, the lateral extent of the quarry, the method of extraction and processing or the principle of the restoration.

"Tarmac remains fully committed to restoring the site to provide an area of nature conservation as an asset for the local community to enjoy," said estates manager Matthew Pixton. "The proposals seek to progressively restore land behind the working phase using onsite materials.

“The economic downturn over the last decade led to a slowdown in production at Sandside Quarry. As a result, we are now seeking permission to extend the operations of the quarry until 2029 – allowing us to extract permitted reserves from the site for a further nine years.

“Except for extending the deadline, the application will not materially alter onsite operations. However, we recognise that residents may want to know more about our plans and so we are holding a public exhibition to give them an opportunity to meet the team and ask any questions they may have.

“Sandside Quarry has a long history in Cumbria and provides essential materials for the local construction market. We will continue to work closely with local people to ensure that our ongoing commitment to conducting operations as sensitively as possible”.