Quarry could be turned into outdoor sports venue

An abandoned quarry in South Yorkshire could be transformed into an outdoor pursuits development for quad biking, water sports and a ropes course.

The former Sutton Field Limestone Quarry has stood vacant for 15 years, but waste management firm FCC Environment has expressed an interest to Doncaster Council in developing the site.

The area off Suttonfield Road, between the villages of Sutton and Campsall, consists of 9.4 hectares of land and is surrounded by country lanes and farmland.

Local residents told the BBC they were broadly in favour of the potential move but shared concerns about noise pollution and the impact on traffic.

FCC Environment operates sites including material recycling facilities, energy from waste plants, landfill sites and quarries.

"It is our responsibility as land stewards to manage land in a sustainable way and return it back to productive use once it is no longer required for operational purposes," the company's website said.

The proposal for the land is firstly to build the outdoor sports centre, followed by the creation of camping facilities and eight accommodation lodges.

A formal planning application is yet to be submitted, but the firm has applied for a screening opinion request to identify possible environmental impacts.

Peter Jury, who has lived locally for more than 30 years, said a commercial venture would be "good for the community" but warned about the impact on traffic.

"I've flagged it up to the council before, there are dangerous junctions on the Doncaster Road and Sutton Road and any more traffic would spell trouble," he said.

In nearby Campsall, Elaine Twistletone has been the sub-postmaster at the post office for 26 years.

Discussing the land, she said: "It wasn't very nice, it felt like it was being left to rot.

"People have been dumping rubbish on the site for the last few years, there's a problem with fly tipping."

Ms Twistletone believed a new development would also offer something for local children.

"They've got nothing apart from the leisure centre, this would be good for them," she said.

Libby Kirkland, who works at a hair salon in Campsall, said an "official" quad biking site would be helpful for young people.

"It would stop them motorbiking on the field around here," she said.

"It's a big thing here so this would be somewhere where they could go legitimately."

In its application, FCC Environment acknowledged it would need to carry out noise and highways impact assessments along with flood risk and ecological considerations.

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