Quarry Plans for Haldon Forest
More than 2 hundred thousand people have taken advantage of the famous Haldon forest since 2007 - it's been turned into a natural playground for walkers, cyclists and riders.
But this is all under threat according to Mike Ellison, he's a regular user of the forest, and he's found out that quarrying could return.
RF Aggregates have filed a new planning application with Teignbridge District Council to double the size of the quarry.
This will increase the extraction quantity from 25,000 to 50,000 cubic metres or nearly 100,000 tons annually.
To undertake the increase, the roads will need to be widened and strengthened to handle the masses of heavy goods lorries that will need to access the site.
It's estimated that there will be 5,500 lorry movements a year and these will run 6 days a week.
Mike thinks the works would seriously endanger many birds of prey species including the Nightjar - 80 pairs bred in the forest.
Objections to the applications have to be lodged by 23rd June 2011.