Up to 250 jobs will be protected and more roles created - after plans to deepen a quarry in Somerset was approved...

The county council future employment opportunities will be created, after a proposal to deepen a quarry was approved by Somerset County Council.

And fears that new quarrying work in Somerset would affect the famous Bath hot springs were also eased by Somerset County Councillors.

At this afternoon’s Regulation Committee, Somerset County Councillors approved a scheme to deepen the Torr Works quarry on the Mendips.

Experts gave assurances that the quarry is isolated and the underlying impermeable rocks act as a barrier, protecting the underground flow to the hot springs.

The application divided the Committee members with four voting against the proposal and four voting for it. The Chairman of the Committee, Cllr Derek Yeomans, made the casting vote to approve the application. Members of the local community spoke at the meeting, as well as the owners of the quarry.

The works at East Cranmore will provide millions of tonnes of stone each year – worth more than £1.1bn. The site has provided stone for some of the UK’s biggest civil engineering projects including the Channel Tunnel and second crossing over the River Severn.

Derek Yeomans, Chairman of the Regulation Committee, said: “It was a very difficult decision. We were given assurances that the sites would be monitored and I insisted the water supply be maintained and tested so that bore holes don’t dry out or water levels dropped. I feel that with these assurances, this proposal would be acceptable.”

Planning conditions include ensuring half of the current output is carried by rail not road and all the extra stone would take the same route. Noise measures will be put in place when blasting takes place and wildlife – particularly peregrine falcons which nest on quarry ledges – will also be protected.