Residents of a Yorkshire Dales village have complained that a blast from a nearby quarry — which is already facing criticism over its impact on the local community — caused their houses to shake.
Householders in Preston-under-Scar, near Leyburn, have contacted the operators of Wensley Quarry to raise concerns about the incident on Wednesday.
One couple said in an email to the quarry: “It was so loud I thought it was a jet and even went to our window to see it.
“We also had several pictures move. It really is a great concern to us.”
Another resident added: “I would like to formally complain about the blast we just experienced. The windows rattled, the house shook briefly and the dogs started barking.
“I do not find this an acceptable level of impact on my house. This a newer, well-built house with high-spec windows that never rattle.”
Another said their whole house shook, adding: “Witnessing these types of symptoms as a result of local industry is simply not acceptable for families and residents of Preston-under-Scar.
“Receiving numerous regular complaints, but simply pressing on as normal certainly does not promote the community engagement duty that Tarmac prides itself on.
Quarry operator Tarmac held a public exhibition earlier this year ahead of a planning application being submitted to expand the lifespan of the quarry by 11 years.
It also needs to agree its plans for expanding the area to be quarried with planners at North Yorkshire Council.
A previous planning application submitted last year was withdrawn by the company following criticism from local residents.
They claimed the operator had ignored villagers and misled council officials over problems with noise, dust and vibrations.
In response to the complaints over the blast, Tiffany Cox, strategic planning manager at Tarmac, said the blast was “carefully designed and closely monitored”.
She added: “Monitoring confirms it was safe and well within the nuisance limits set by North Yorkshire Council. However, we recognise that some nearby residents felt the blast strongly and contacted us to raise concerns.
“Blasting is a complex operation and, depending on local ground and atmospheric conditions, can be experienced in different ways by nearby residents
“In response to residents’ feedback, we have appointed an independent blasting specialist to review our operations and work with us to refine on-site practices, with the aim of reducing the level of nuisance experienced by our neighbours.
“As part of this, the independent specialist is preparing an online survey to better understand how nearby residents experience blasting at the quarry. We would encourage residents to take part once it is available to help inform our review.”
The manager said Tarmac took the concerns raised seriously and would work closely with the local community as the review progressed.
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