A Denholme woman has failed to block plans to extend work at a controversial quarry.

Maureen Smith took her case to the Court of Appeal but could not stop proposals to extend the period of quarrying at Buck Park Quarry until 2006.

Denholme Residents' Action Group, which supported the case, afterwards condemned the permission as a "poisoned chalice" because it meant the firm would have to comply with strict conditions which residents believe are impossible.

Mrs Smith has lived in Denholme for 27 years and claimed she would be substantially affected if the quarrying continued because her home was less than a mile away.

She was trying to overturn a High Court ruling from Decem-ber 2001 which backed a Government Planning Inspector's decision to give conditional planning permission for further mineral extraction and land-filling at Whalley Lane.

But yesterday the Court of Appeal backed the ruling to give Humberside Waste Management Services extra time for the extraction of stone and to increase the depth of quarrying.

In 1992 Integrated Waste Management obtained planning permission to operate the quarry for ten years, and six years later sought permission to operate it until 2006. The application was refused by Bradford Council but permission was granted on appeal by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, on the recommendation of a planning inspector.

Lord Justice Waller said the planning inspector had taken into account what measures Bradford Council would take to lessen the environmental damage and had "complied with his obligations".