Biddulph town councillors have reacted to plans to resume sand extraction from an old local quarry following unsuccessful attempts to convert the site into a residential development.

Biddulph Nub News reported recently how a document submitted to Staffordshire Moorlands District Council's planning department outlined plans to reopen the Hurst Road quarry for the first time since 2014.

The Mineral Planning Group were commissioned to produce "screening and scoping document" relating to the quarry.

The document discussed 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.

After two applications to turn the quarry into residential developments fell through in 2016 and 2019, it is now planned to recommence mineral extraction at the site.

At a Biddulph Town Council Planning Committee meeting held tonight (Tuesday), councillors were able to give their views on the document to discuss which areas they felt should be "scoped in".

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".

Committee chair Cllr David Hawley was concerned about the lack of environmental issues that had been "scoped in".

He felt that all of the "scoped out" areas should also be "scoped in", saying: "Local residents are commenting on the basis that the extraction should be stopped, but that isn't what we're debating. It's about what should be included in the assessment. I feel that all the items they've listed as out of scope should be included."

However, the conversation then turned to councillors' views on how the site could be used to be most beneficial to the town.

Cllr Wayne Rogers brought up the topic of previous residential developments being planned for the site, with Cllr Hawley explaining that sand extraction was due to resume after the residential applications were withdrawn.

Cllr Rogers said: "People wanted the houses refused, and now they want the mining refused. I'm not sure what they want to happen."

To which Cllr Alistair McLoughlin replied: "I think they just want it returned to nature."

Cllr Nigel Yates commented that a use should be found for the site that would cause "the least amount of aggravation".

He said: "The site is in limbo at the minute. It isn't an asset to the town, but it could be an asset to the town. It's about how we get there with the least amount of aggravation."

Biddulph's mayor, Cllr John Jones, hoped to get the site reopened as a quarry with a view to bringing the site back to its natural state once all of the sand had been extracted.

He added: "We are already seeing empty bottles and cans being left over there. The sooner that something is done with it the better. I think we want to get the site back into use in some way for as long as it needs to be, with a view to getting it restored to how it was before anybody put a spade in the ground."

Councillors then voted unanimously to comment that all of the environmental issues that were currently "scoped out" should be "scoped in".