Controversial Northumberland quarry plans recommended for approval

Newcastle-based applicant North East Concrete submitted the planning application to Northumberland County Council to create the 70-acre site near Kirkwhelpington, proposing to extract 2.8 million tonnes of dolerite, importing inert infill material and associated highway and landscape works, subsequently approved by the county council.

The application could be approved at the Northumberland County Council Strategic Planning Committee meeting next week, despite nearly 200 objections relating to HGV traffic, congestion and increased carbon emissions.

North East Concrete outlined the benefits of the development include the creation of long-term jobs, supporting regional business growth and improving the region's aggregate supply.

The 'high-risk' quarry plans in Northumberland should be refused, or it will 'expose the council to further legal challenge', according to one campaigner.

John Winslow fought to bring the planning application for Northside Quarry to a standstill in 2025, represented by law firm Leigh Day and supported by the Environmental Law Foundation.

More: Council reveals concerns about 70-acre quarry plans in Northumberland

More: Plans for 70-acre quarry halted after legal battle

More: Plans for 70-acre quarry approved near Kirkwhelpington

The site is considered a valuable store of carbon and a significant habitat for a wide range of protected species, including birds such as curlew and lapwing.

Dolerite is used in the production of concrete as well as in paving stones.

Winslow argued that the county council failed to comply with its obligations under the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 by not assessing the application's potential climate effects, particularly carbon emissions from soil disturbance.

NCC conceded that it did not comply with its obligations, and the proposal was paused. An Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) disclosure from the local authority later revealed that council officers shared concerns over the proposed Northside Quarry.

Winslow said there are multiple distinct reasons to refuse the application, citing 'questionable climate methodology' by the applicant, 'informal decision-making' and a lack of a 'clear need' for the site at all.

The council's EIR documents revealed that council officers acknowledged in internal emails in 2022 that the extraction of dolerite was 'barely needed' and if the ecological value of the site had been known earlier, council officers would have reconsidered whether the site was 'deliverable and suitable for allocation in the plan'.

Planning documents also state that the quarry would discharge treated wastewater into the River Wansbeck, which has an internationally significant crayfish population, according to the Environment Agency.

Winslow added that the original approval was quashed 'because the council failed to assess climate impacts properly'.

"This is not a technicality - it reflects fundamental deficiencies in the Environmental Impact Assessment process," he said.

"This is a high-risk application environmentally, legally, and reputationally. Approving it would expose the council to further legal challenge and undermine confidence in the planning process."

He 'strongly urged' council members to refuse the application.

A spokesperson for Northumberland County Council said: "Northumberland County Council is committed to protecting the environment and takes this into account with all planning applications.

"The evaluation of the proposed quarry is set out in the report published on the County Council's website. Elected members will be able to raise any relevant questions at the Strategic Planning Committee meeting next week."

North East Concrete was contacted for comment.

For more information, go to the council's planning portal and search reference number 22/01909/CCMEIA.