CAMPAIGNERS have spoken of their delight after a new bid to reopen a quarry ended in failure.

A planning application seeking the reopening of Horn Crag Quarry at Silsden was refused by Bradford Council in May last year.

But applicant AD Calvert Architectural Stone Supplies lodged an appeal against the refusal decision, and a public inquiry was held in February.

Opponents launched an online petition in a renewed campaign against the plans.

Now the Planning Inspectorate has dismissed the appeal.

Campaigner Sarah Walker, who headed up the petition, says: "We are absolutely delighted that the appeal has been dismissed.

"It’s just over a year since we started the campaign, and this decision is such a relief.

"I would like to thank everybody for all their support, objections, petition signatures and social media shares, and especially everyone who was involved in the inquiry.

"There has been a real sense of the community pulling together, and it’s a fantastic outcome."

Keighley MP Robbie Moore also welcomed the decision.

He said: "I'm extremely pleased to see that the appeal has been dismissed.

"Throughout this saga I made my views clear against these plans, which would undoubtedly have had huge negative consequences for residents in the Silsden area and indeed anyone living along the access route – not to mention the effects on local wildlife and our environment.

"A huge 'thank you' must go to everyone who submitted their objections and campaigned hard for this result."

And John Grogan, Keighley's Labour parliamentary candidate, says: "The rejection of the appeal is a great victory for all those who have campaigned against the quarry proposal.

"There is a real sense of relief in Silsden that the decision of Bradford Council’s planning committee has been upheld at a national level and that in this instance the system has worked in delivering an outcome supported by the bulk of local people."

The plan would have seen 520,000 tonnes of Yorkshire Stone taken from the Horn Crag site, which is in the green belt.

AD Calvert argued that the stone which would be quarried was vital for the maintenance and restoration of stone-built structures, there would be a maximum of ten HGV movements a day, and that the site would be restored once all the stone was extracted. It refuted claims the scheme constituted inappropriate development.

However opponents cited a string of concerns, including a potential risk to groundwater and private water supplies and health; noise and light pollution; increased traffic congestion and road safety risks; the visual impact on the landscape, and the effect on wildlife and protected species.

AD Calvert was contacted by the Keighley News for comment on the appeal decision, but it hadn't responded at the time of writing.