DOZENS of people have objected to plans to create a new quarry near a small rural village.

North East Concrete has submitted a planning application to create a quarry between the A696 and Northside Harle, near Kirkwhelpington.

If plans are approved, four million tonnes of dolerite would be extracted from the 28.7 hectare site over a proposed 20-year period.

The mineral reserve would be removed and the quarry infilled over a total of 25 years.

The Northside site was designated for mineral extraction in the Northumberland Local Plan.

More than 30 people, including residents of Belsay and Ponteland, have objected to the proposals, citing dust, traffic and harm to wildlife as concerns.

Anne Palmer, 60, who has lived in Kirkwhelpington, which has conservation area status, for 27 years, said the plan was "outrageous".

She said: "This will be just 700m from the middle of the village. It's on the other side of the main road, the A696, but just on the other side.

"We'll be able to hear the noise. There's a lot of noise attached to quarry working.

"It will change what is now a sleepy village into an industrial estate."

She added: "Work will cause dust and grime, and with the prevailing wind being westerly/south-westerly, it will all be blown constantly towards the village."

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The site will operate between 7am and 6pm on weekdays and between 7am and 1pm on Saturdays.

Anne, who is a member of the pressure group KRANE (Kirkwhelpington Residents Against Needless Extraction), said she is also concerned about the increased level of traffic the quarry would bring.

According to a planning and environmental statement submitted to Northumberland County Council alongside the application on behalf of North East Concrete, there would be a total of 46 HGV movements a day.

"We are plagued with heavy lorries round here for lots of reasons," said Anne.

"There's another quarry not too far away at Divet Hill and there are forestry wagons that come down.

"The A696, although it's a main road, it's not a trunk road. It goes through Belsay and Ponteland and traffic jams are already a problem."

The planning and environmental statement said: "As the NLP (Northumberland Local Plan) has now been adopted by NCC, significant weight must be attached to the allocations and policies contained within it.

"As part of the extensive allocation process, the Northside proposals have since 2018 been subject to thorough assessment by specialist technical officers from NCC, including those representing Planning, Highways, Ecology, Heritage and Environmental Protection departments."

The statement later added: "Noise levels from the temporary and long-term operations can conform to the proposed noise limits during the daytime period. Using the impact significance, the overall impact on the existing dwellings (sensitive receptors) will be a negligible impact during the working period."

It said once complete, the "site will be restored to a mixture of pastoral agricultural and ecological enhancement".

North East Concrete was contacted for comment.

For more details on the application, visit the county council's planning portal and search reference number 22/01909/CCMEIA