Silica sand and rock could once again be extracted from Biddulph's Hurst Quarry following unsuccessful attempts to convert the old quarry into a residential development.

The plans to return the quarry to its previous use are outlined in a new document submitted to Staffordshire Moorlands District Council's planning department by The Mineral Planning Group this week.

The Group were commissioned by a company called Land Recovery to produce a "screening and scoping document" relating to the quarry.

The document states: "Two applications for residential development at the site were made, though both were withdrawn in 2016 and 2019 respectively.

"As the residential applications have both been withdrawn, it is now the applicant's intentions to ... recommence mineral extraction at the site."

The 2019 withdrawal noted in the document refers to a planning application submitted by Renew Land Developments, which hoped to convert the quarry into a residential development of up to 28 dwellings.

The 2016 withdrawal, on the other hand, refers to another application by Renew, with this one being for 29 dwellings.

The document discusses which areas of the environment would be affected by extracting minerals from the quarry again, and which of these would need to be "scoped in" to an Environmental Statement provided to councils when making their decision on a future planning application.

The quarry, which is located around 800 metres from the edge of Biddulph, has been used for mineral extraction since at least 1877, but this has not taken place at the quarry since 2014.

There are still at least 720,000 tonnes of sand remaining in the quarry, and the Group explains that this amount would likely be enough for extraction to continue until 2036.

The document concludes that the issues of ecology and hydrogeology should be "scoped in" to an Environmental Statement, whereas the issues of landscape, transport, noise, heritage and flood risk should be "scoped out".

A draft list of 43 conditions for the quarry if mineral extraction were to resume suggests that a maximum of 30 HGVs should be allowed to transport minerals from the site every day.

Another condition suggests that work should only be carried out at the site between 7.30am - 6pm on Monday - Friday and 8.30am - 2pm on Saturdays, with no work allowed to take place on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

To view the document in full, visit the district council's website here.