Ketton villager raises concerns over health impact of dust from Grange Top Quarry managed by Heidelberg Materials

A villager has raised concerns about the long-term effects of dust on residents living near a quarry.

Pam Heather is worried about ‘severe air pollution’ from blasts at the nearby Ketton Cement Works quarry, owned by Heidelberg Materials.

The 90-year-old has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and says her breathing has become worse since blasting moved closer to her High Street home around two years ago.

She is worried about the potential for developing silicosis, a chronic lung disease, caused by prolonged exposure to silica particles which are found in limestone dust.

“Quarry workers on-site are protected from silica, but what about Ketton residents?,” she asked.

“It’s very serious. When I moved here I was assured that the blasting was nowhere near here and I wouldn’t be affected.”

Pam, who owns Hibbins House, says she has heard, among others, from a family in the area who believe their asthma symptoms have become more severe.

“Someone else said their car gets covered in dust and they’re in Collyweston, so on bad days when the wind carries it it must affect different people in different places.

“And I’ve seen letters from people in Stamford saying their cars have been covered for weeks.”

The final straw for Pam, who moved to the Rutland village 12 years ago, came when a coating of ‘sticky’ dust covered her new car after a quarry blast near her home last month.

“I was very concerned because it was gritty all over my car and I was worried about the paintwork,” she said.

“Yet when I’ve contacted the company about this I’ve been told it’s due to the dust from an unmade road at the side of my house which is ridiculous.

“I’ve been here 12 years and it only occurs after a blast - it doesn’t occur at any other time - even in high winds.”

Pam now wants other villagers with concerns to speak up.

“People have complained since 2022 and most of the people have given up because they've been ignored,” she added.

“I feel someone has to keep alive the seriousness of what is happening with pollutants.”

The Health and Safety Executive says silica is the biggest risk to construction workers after asbestos, and says ‘heavy and prolonged exposure’ can cause ‘lung cancer and other serious respiratory diseases’ such as bronchitis and emphysema.

Pam accepts Heidelberg Materials adheres to blasting regulations, but says that falls short of preventing ‘severe air pollution’.

She is calling for a change in regulations to increase the minimum distance between blasts and neighbouring homes.

“When they’re only blasting 300 metres away from my house - which is seconds away from the blast - it means that I inhale them.”

Pam has voiced her concerns to Rutland County Council which is currently considering an application by Ketton-based Castle Cement to extend Grange Top Quarry.

In 2023, Ketton Parish Council raised ‘significant’ concerns about the proposed extension to the southern and north-western extensions, and the potential impact of blast vibration on homes in Wotton Close and the Park View Estate.

Pam blames blasting for damage to her 18th-century home which has cost around £30,000 in repairs.

Heidelberg said that all blasts at the quarry are well within permitted vibration levels and that ‘fugitive’ dust is managed by a range of measures on site.

They include the use of bowsers, sprinklers and wheel washes, plus planting to provide screening around the boundary.

The company pointed to independent studies in the UK on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) which “confirmed that quarrying does not have any significant impact on air quality outside the quarry boundary” and that “silica dust is strictly a workplace hazard”.

It added that no cases of silicosis have been documented among the general public in Britain.

“Operations at Grange Top Quarry are subject to an extensive number of modern planning conditions to which we comply,” said Aurelien Colas, Heidelberg Materials’ quarry manager at Grange Top Quarry.

“These conditions have been shaped by Government policy and the work of regulators to ensure that people, property and the environment are protected.

“We are proud of the work we do at Grange Top quarry, supplying vital construction materials, supporting the local economy, and playing our role within the local community.”