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 in the village until 2006. Denholme Residents' Action Group (DRAG), 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 for the company to achieve.

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. Mrs Smith was trying to overturn a High Court ruling from December 2001 which backed a Government planning inspector's decision to give conditional planning permission for further mineral extraction and land-filling at the quarry, in Whalley Lane.

But on Wednesday 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.

Mrs Smith claimed the plans had faced substantial objections from the community. They were over increased traffic, pollution, noise, smell and environmental damage.

She claimed the landfill would create an extra 98 heavy goods vehicle movements to the site each day. 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".

Later Dominic Clark, chairman of DRAG, said the ruling meant the firm had to comply with plans submitted in February 2000. He claimed this meant the firm would be unable to comply with conditions such as noise. He said: "We are not displeased with the outcome. We maintain they have been given a poisoned chalice. They cannot possibly make the permission comply with noise restrictions."