Limestone quarry plans given go-ahead in Northamptonshire

Plans to build a limestone quarry in a Northamptonshire village have been given the go ahead, despite local opposition.

Northamptonshire County Council agreed to Mick George Limited's proposals to quarry for the stone on farmland in Ringstead.

The company said the workings would mostly be below ground level.

Campaigners against the plan said the council had let villagers down as it could have imposed more protection.

Chris Hudson, of Ringstead Parish Council which opposed the plans, said the county councillors should have done more.

He said: "We are disappointed. We felt that they should have gone further in protecting the interests of local people."

Residents said they had been worried about the levels of noise and dust the quarry would create, and were unhappy with the 06:00 BST start time for lorries to start loading.

John Gough, planning manager for Mick George, said the early start would mean less congestion on the roads.

The company will extract two million tonnes of the mineral over 15 years.