Plans to extend a rock quarry in a rural part of Northumberland have been given the go-ahead by planners despite concerns from local residents and councillors.
An additional 2.7 million tonnes of whinstone will be extracted from the Divet Hill Quarry near Great Bavington over the next nine years, after members of Northumberland County Council's strategic planning committee waved through plans on Tuesday.
However, residents were concerned that the extension of the quarry - which is around nine miles north of Hexham - by an additional 15 hectares would have a significant detrimental impact on their amenity and on a nearby nature reserve.
