Further plans emerge for huge quarry stretching between villages near Rugby

Land directly to the south of the A4304, opposite the village of Misterton, near Lutterworth, could be developed to make way for new sand and gravel excavations.

The site, if approved, would stretch across around 275 acres, dwarfing neighbouring Misterton as well as nearby Walcote and Cotesbach. Concerns were raised that the proposal would “decimate” the countryside when the initial interest in using the land was expressed by applicant Tarmac Ltd in 2022.

At the time, the company had only submitted an initial scoping report to determine what the impact of and issues associated with the proposal might be. Now, a full planning application for the development and use of the land has been submitted to Leicestershire County Council.

If permission is granted, the new quarry would operate for around 20 years. It is intended to replace the existing one at Shawell, around a 10 minute drive away.

After 50 years of extraction there, the reserves at Shawell Quarry are “nearing exhaustion”, Tarmac has said. The site is expected to close in the next couple of years, once restoration work has been completed.

The new quarry would operate in a similar manner and opening hours to Shawell site, with work set for 7am to 7pm on Mondays through to Fridays, and 7am to 2pm on Saturdays. It would be closed on Sundays and public holidays, Tarmac said.

Around 400,000 tonnes of sand and gravel are expected to be extracted each year. There would also be a processing plant on site for the materials.

Tarmac said it picked the site due to its proximity to Shawell Quarry and the existing market that quarry currently serves. It is also close to approved developments in Harborough District, including the Lutterworth East and Magna Park developments, which would be expected to use some of the extracted materials.

Additionally, the site is located close to major roads, including Junction 20 of the M1. Access to the site would be off the A4303. Tarmac said there would be up to 17 Heavy Good Vehicles (HGVs) travelling to and from the site each hour at peak times.

Once extraction at the site has been exhausted, it would be restored, the company added. This would see much of it returned to agricultural use, with ponds and woodland areas also proposed.

Speaking when the scoping report was submitted in 2022, South Leicestershire MP Alberto Costa said: “I am quite concerned as to what have I seen so far, especially given the sheer size of the proposals which would decimate existing green land and would significantly add a huge number of HGVs to what is already a congested local road network.

Last week, the MP issued a survey to thousands of Harborough households, asking for views on the quarry plans, as well as more warehousing and homes in the area.

He said: “The proposed Misterton Quarry is not within an area designated in the local plan to permit such activity. If we are to entrust our county with designating areas for mineral extraction, then the county must ensure its local plan is followed, otherwise it weakens the credibility of the purpose of such local plans.”