'Benefits outweigh negatives' - Marsden Quarry plans eye 7-year extractions and restoration extension

Plans to extend operations at a South Tyneside quarry by seven years to allow extra time for "extraction" and "site restoration" have been officially submitted.

South Tyneside Council’s planning department has received a planning application linked to Marsden Quarry, which sits off the Coast Road, near the National Trust Souter Lighthouse.

Back in 2025, SLR Consulting Limited submitted a request for a “scoping opinion” setting out details of a “proposed extension of time for extraction and a restoration scheme” at the quarry.

Planning documents submitted at the time described the active limestone quarry as a “key source of aggregates and building material for construction across South Tyneside and beyond”, and noted it had “been in operation for over 150 years.”

It was also noted that the site operates as a “permitted inert waste landfill site as part of the long-term restoration scheme” and that “The O’Brien Group has operated a successful commercial quarrying and processing activity at Marsden Quarry” since acquiring the site in 2018.

Scoping opinions aim to establish whether an environmental impact assessment (EIA) is required for a full planning application and the council confirmed an EIA was needed for Marsden Quarry.

Those behind the scoping opinion request said existing planning permission “permits the extraction of limestone from the area until December 31, 2027" but that site restoration had been delayed due to several factors, including the Covid-19 pandemic.

Applicant O'Brien Aggregates Marsden has now lodged a formal planning application seeking permission to "extend the operational lifetime of the quarry by an additional five years, with a subsequent two-year period for restoration in accordance with a revised restoration scheme."

A covering letter notes that extending operations by seven years would "allow a full recovery of the nationally important mineral reserves" while "safeguarding critical mineral infrastructure, supporting housing and infrastructure delivery".

Applicants added plans would "enable the completion of a high-quality restoration scheme that will aid the delivery of net gains for biodiversity and community benefit".

It was also argued that the extended operational timescale of Marsden Quarry was “not anticipated to alter the HGV movements currently associated with operation".

The cover letter adds: "The submitted environmental statement supports the conclusion that any adverse effects are limited, temporary and outweighed by the long-term benefits."

For more information, visit South Tyneside Council's planning portal website and search reference: 260076