PEOPLE living near a massive proposed extension to a quarry in Kingsteignton say the development will leave them at the mercy of dangerous silica dust.

One told a Devon County Council meeting: “Planning permission would be a death sentence for Kingsteignton residents.”

The residents used the county council’s public forum section to air their fears over the proposed extensions to the Zitherixon quarry at Rackerhayes, which would also mean the felling of hundreds of mature trees.

Opponents of the quarry extension say silica dust has been detected on car windscreens and in gardens a kilometre away from the quarry.

Annie Cowell, of Kingsteignton, told the meeting the extension would be ‘a large health hazard within walking distance of two primary schools, a secondary school, a rugby club, a scout hut and residential properties’.

She said the town would be living with ‘the consistent threat of silica dust’ and added: ‘Who would want to live and bring children to an area that holds such a devastating threat?’

Fellow Kingsteignton resident Catherine Estell told the meeting: “It is not just about extracting clay – it’s about the long-term impact on people’s homes, health, wildlife and one of the last green buffers between our community and heavy industry.

“The woodland at risk is mature broadleaf woodland, and once it is gone it cannot simply be replaced by planting saplings somewhere else.”

She said Sibelco had stated in 2013 that it had sufficient ball clay for the next 50 years.

She added: “If that was the case then, what has changed now?”

And Holland Risley of the Save Our Trees campaign said dust was the most pressing issue around the proposed extension.

“The most dangerous dust is often invisible,” he said. “Devon residents’ health and wellbeing must not be traded for financial gain.”

Sibelco did not have a representative at the county council meeting to respond, but said afterwards in a statement: “As a long-standing and responsible local operator, we maintain robust environmental management and monitoring procedures across all our operational sites.

“Any application to consolidate the existing planning permissions for Zitherixon Quarry and recommence mining operations will be subject to a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment.

“This requires Sibelco to demonstrate that future operations will be carried out in accordance with legislation, policy and industry best practice under the regulatory oversight of the local authority, the Environment Agency and other statutory agencies.”

Silica dust can become an airborne hazard from ball clay working such as that at Kingsteignton, depending on how it is handled and managed.

Prolonged inhalation of crystalline silica dust can cause lung fibrosis, commonly referred to as silicosis.

Sibelco says it enforces strict workplace controls and says the health and safety of its workers and local communities is a primary priority, and dust generation must be strictly monitored and controlled.