PLANS for a major extension to an established quarry near Ripon which would double both output and the number of lorry movements will be considered by North Yorkshire councillors on Tuesday.

Hanson Aggregates is being asked to give £3,200 towards improvements already planned by the council at the busy clock tower junction, on the A6108 in Ripon, to cope with the expected effects of the additional traffic.

Sand and gravel workings have been taking place at Ripon quarry, formerly Ure Valley quarry off the A6108 near North Stainley, since 1949.

Hanson Aggregates is at present working an area of the quarry under permission given six years ago, but the North Yorkshire local minerals plan allocates further land as a preferred area for future working.

The new extraction area being proposed by the company with replacement plant contains an estimated 3.9m tonnes of sand and gravel which would be worked in 12 annual phases.

Present output from the quarry is about 200,000 tonnes a year, generating about 42 lorry loads a day. Hanson Aggregates has estimated that installation of new equipment would potentially enable output to be increased to a maximum of 400,000 tonnes a year, with about 84 lorries a day.

The existing workings employ eight people, but no additional direct jobs are expected from the extension, which would produce sand and gravel for markets in York and West and South Yorkshire.

Mr Mike Moore, director of environmental services, says the proposals have been examined in depth and he believes they should be approved subject to appropriate controls