Almost 12.5 acres of further land will be added to a quarry after councillors gave the green light to an expansion plan.

Members of Norfolk County Council's planning committee backed proposals by Sibelco UK to extend its Grandcourt Quarry, to the south west of King's Lynn.

The company has been given permission to add 12.4 acres to its 390.4 acre site off Station Road in Leziate.

Sibelco UK was granted approval to quarry silica sand from an area known as Charities Land.

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It will mean an extra 500,000 tonnes of silica sand, which is used to manufacture glass, can be extracted from the quarry 

The company was also given permission to make changes to the way the entire site will be restored when quarrying ceases by December 2031.

No objections to the proposals were lodged with the county council and officers had recommended approval.

Alexandra KempAlexandra Kemp (Image: Newsquest)

At Friday's planning committee meeting, independent county councillor Alexandra Kemp for South Lynn and Clenchwarton, questioned what effect the extension would have on roads.

Charles Colling, senior planner at County Hall, said 70pc of the material was transported away on the site's rail line and 30pc travelled in lorries by road, via Station Road/Hill Road and the A47.

Mr Colling said the applicant had informed the council the newly quarried material would be taken from the site over an extra six months.

Mark Kiddle-MorrisMark Kiddle-Morris (Image: Norfolk Conservatives)

Mark Kiddle-Morris, Conservative county councillor for Necton and Launditch, said it was important that measures be taken to minimise the risk of bird strikes at nearby RAF Marham.

Mr Colling said the Ministry of Defence had no objection to the proposal - subject to a suitable bird management plan being in place.

Officers said: "It is considered that the extension of the existing quarry is acceptable with regards to the impacts on amenity, the landscape, the local highway network, ecology, flood risk and in all other respects.

"The inclusion of this additional area of land would utilise this mineral resource, which otherwise would be unlikely to be extracted in the future following completion of the previously approved scheme and restoration."