Call for old quarry to be turned into public open space

Grange Quarry, Harrogate, had been reserved by the county council as a potential site for a household waste recycling plant.

But last year it was awarded planning permission to open a site off Penny Pot Lane in early 2011.

Now councillors are calling for the Grange Quarry site, which is next to Grange Quarry Wood in the New Park area of the town, to be handed back to the community and transformed into a public open space.

Coun Matthew Webber said: "We have a shortage of open community space in this part of town and it would be of huge benefit to the area. We want to extend the area into the wood.

"It is a very beautiful site, part of the Nidd Gorge and alongside Oak Beck. There is all sorts of wildlife here including ducks and kingfishers.

"We want to open this area up to residents and it would be a real community asset."

A number of sites were considered for the new household waste recycling plant, which is being built to relieve pressure on the busy Stonefall site and will deal with 170 tonnes of waste per week.

The Penny Pot Lane site, a redundant poultry farm, will also house a 900 square metre winter grit barn and council highways depot, replacing the facilities in Starbeck and Pateley Bridge, as well as office accommodation.

Campaigners argue it will spoil views from the surrounding countryside.

A motion asking for the county council to formally release the Grange Quarry site will be put before Harrogate Borough Council on March 3.