QUARRYING near Scammonden Water will continue until 2040 after Huddersfield councillors backed a plan.

Huddersfield firm Marshalls applied for consent to extend stone quarrying by 55% on grazing land next to Moselden Height Quarry off Saddleworth Road.

Councillors on the planning sub-committee were told it will help safeguard 360 jobs connected to quarrying at the site.

But some concerns were raised about the bid.

Gillian Gledhill, who lives on the Barkisland side of Scammonden Water, said they were concerned about land movement caused by vibrations from an existing quarry.

She said: “We are concerned that more vibrations will loosen the land even further.”

Clr Ken Sims, Holme Valley South Conservative, moved the application saying Marshalls were a well respected and capable firm and should be supported.

The work will be carried out in 14 phases, with previous excavations filled with earth from a new section of quarrying.

It will temporarily affect a public right of way during phase 10, which councillors agreed to divert.

The firm wants to quarry for blockstone and sandstone and increase the blockstone reserve from 143,000 tonnes to 230,000 tonnes. It will expand the site’s quarrying area from 8.5 hectares to 12.91.

Once quarrying is complete the land would be returned to agricultural grazing.