Controversial plans to re-open a quarry in have been thrown out after mass opposition.

Axel Properties wanted to extract 300,000 tonnes of stone out of Black Dyke Quarry in Thornton, Bradford, over ten years.

It first applied to Bradford Council planners, but this was thrown out nearly a year ago. The company then appealed and now a Government inspector has dismissed the latest bid.

Hundreds of residents wrote to the Council to complain about the moves, which they feared would cause noise and pollution, and damage villagers' quality of life - as well as be a danger to children and animals.

The main concern was the volume of traffic - up to 100 lorry movements for 12 hours a day in and out of the site at Black Dyke Lane.

Planning inspector James McPherson looked into the traffic generation figures which Axel said would be a worst-case scenario and included a campaign' over a few weeks to remove an accumulation of stone from the site. On a normal day this could drop to 28 two-way movements.

Mr McPherson said in his report: "These reduced traffic movements do not appear to allow for the importation of the additional material necessary to fill the void space already present in the existing quarry in conjunction with the proposed extension. I have little information on the likely traffic generation for this additional fill material."

He went on to say that the effects of the campaign traffic' on some of the routes to and from the site are likely to be unacceptable' and that these roads are not appropriate' for the level of traffic.

At the junction of Well Heads and Brighouse and Denholme Road, for example, the lorries would have to make a right turn.

The inspector said that with the improvements, lorries could turn left in and out of Well Heads - but only by sweeping across opposing traffic. He said: "Although there may be no great accident record at present, I consider even 22 additional HGV movements per day at this junction would be likely to harm highway safety and that harm would be greatly increased by the additional landfill and campaign flows'."

He was satisfied that it would be possible to control the noise generated by operating machinery on site to avoid harming those living nearest by.

But he said he was concerned about the noise from early morning traffic, as Axel wanted to operate from 7am, six days a week.

In conclusion Mr McPherson said: "I do not consider the need for that stone or the resulting landfill void to outweigh the harm to highway safety and amenity as set out above."

Ward Councillor Valerie Binney (Con) welcomed the decision. She said: "It's great news for the residents."

The quarry was worked until the 1940s, and part of the area has been filled in.

Axel Properties was unavailable for comment.