Local residents are being asked to voice their opinions on contentious proposals for Hawksworth Quarry after the site’s operator challenged Leeds City Council’s rejection of a planning bid by referring the matter to the Planning Inspectorate.
Councillors Oliver Edwards, Sonia Leighton and Eleanor Thomson, representing the Guiseley area, are encouraging community members to file submissions with the Planning Inspectorate ahead of the September 15 cutoff date.
The plans under consideration involve accepting and processing inert waste materials at the quarry situated on Odda Lane in Hawksworth.
The appeal follows Leeds City Council’s decision earlier this year to reject the initial planning submission.
Council planners determined that adequate evidence had not been provided to demonstrate the operation could proceed without creating substantial issues for the surrounding road network.
The three councillors have indicated they hold the same reservations as local residents regarding the potential environmental and traffic consequences of the quarry expansion.
The elected representatives have been collaborating with council planning officials and Environment Agency staff to examine projected vehicle movements associated with the development.
The councillors intend to lodge their own formal objections directly to the Planning Inspectorate.
According to Councillor Oliver Edwards, who represents Guiseley and Rawdon for Labour, residents across Hawksworth, Guiseley and Menston harbour significant worries about the lasting effects the quarry could have on the neighbourhood.
He called upon anyone experiencing difficulties caused by the site to register their views with the Planning Inspectorate.
Edwards expressed gratitude towards the Hawksworth Quarry Monitoring Group for its persistent efforts in demanding accountability from the operator.
He emphasised that the continued relationship between elected representatives, the monitoring group and the Hawksworth Village Association remained essential in safeguarding the local environment.
The original planning application generated more than 180 formal objections from local residents.
The submitted concerns encompassed anticipated rises in heavy goods vehicle activity, road safety implications, environmental consequences, public health considerations and objections to what critics perceived as a shift from quarrying operations to waste management activities.
Leeds City Council’s refusal cited projections indicating the development would produce a marked escalation in heavy goods vehicle trips compared with those currently authorised at the location.
The application was filed without a Transport Assessment, which meant highways department staff were unable to conduct a thorough evaluation of consequences for local roads.
Beyond their campaign to shield the local area from large-scale waste handling operations, the councillors also drew attention to existing Leeds City Council schemes addressing localised waste problems including roadside litter and illegal dumping.
Councillor Edwards stated that the appeal submission proved discouraging given the ongoing work to combat waste-related offences in the Guiseley and Rawdon district.
He noted that collaborative efforts with residents had helped determine optimal placements for the council’s allocation of 1,000 replacement litter bins for the community.
Edwards stressed that community awareness continued to play a vital role, urging all residents to report instances of fly-tipping promptly and provide any supporting evidence, particularly given recent successful legal outcomes against offenders.
Objections to the Hawksworth Quarry appeal can be registered electronically through the Planning Inspectorate website using reference 6014331.
Written comments quoting the reference number may also be sent by post to the Planning Inspectorate Customer Support Team at QUADIENT, 69 Buckingham Avenue, Slough, SL1 4PN.
All submissions must arrive before the September 15 deadline.
Residents who previously submitted objections to the original planning application are not required to provide additional representations.