FRESH concerns have been raised over plans to reopen a quarry near Oxford after residents feared it would have a negative impact on the area.

Noise, dust and traffic issues have been raised by people as possible consequences if Oxfordshire County Council approves plans for Woodeaton Quarry to reopen on Monday.

The dispute between McKenna Environmental Ltd, residents and councillors has been ongoing since developers applied for permission to fill in the quarry in 2012.

It has been estimated the quarry could be used to dump 650,000 tonnes of soil and clay, which would bring hundreds of trucks rumbling through Barton every year.

Barton councillor Van Coulter said: “I joined with councillors from South Oxfordshire District Council in opposing the opening of the quarry as a landfill site last time.

“As many as 20 heavy goods vehicle movements per day were proposed.

“It’s going to upset a lot of people living in Barton – particularly at Meadowbrook, with beds and living rooms about three metres from the road.

“Added to the noise is vibration. When passing so close to the Meadowbrook properties on the corner of Stowford and Bayswater – the HGVs will send vibrations through the flats.”

He added: “It’s bad enough with double-decker buses, they weigh 11.5 tonnes. The HGVS will have double that weight.

“A lot of residents will be unhappy at being disturbed day-in and day-out, for years and years.”

In a new planning application for the construction of a “haul road” to be used for the restoration of Woodeaton Quarry, it is stated conditional planning permission had been granted in 2012, but the conditions were not met.

But with an alternative haul route using an existing farm track, permission could be granted for 10 years’ worth of work to start on the site.

In a report to the planning committee, deputy director for environment and economy David Periam wrote: “There would be no change to any other aspects of the development proposed.

“The wider routeing proposals would remain the same and HGVs delivering imported waste material would take the route left out of the site on the B4027 then down Bayswater Road.”

The quarry is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because of fossils at the site and it is estimated 20 lorries a day would use the route for 10 years.

Woodeaton Quarry has been worked since the 1940s and has permission for extraction until 2042, yet no work has been done on the site since 2000.

Ginette Camps-Walsh, of Woodeaton Quarry Action Committee, which opposes the plan, said: “The main concerns for the residents of the Watereaton are that it is unsafe because it is right next to the school. Residents also have concerns about noise and the amount of traffic.”

Spokeswoman for Oxfordshire County Council Catarina Walsh said the council could not add anything at this stage.