PROTESTERS have lost their five-year fight to save an East Lancashire beauty spot from the bulldozers.

Castle Cement's plan to excavate 30 million tonnes of limestone from Bellman Quarry, Clitheroe, was given the go-ahead when a spokesman for the Department of the Environment confirmed that a public inquiry on the matter would not be held.

Members of Lancashire County Council's development control sub-committee had voted for approval on condition that Environment Secretary John Prescott be given a last-ditch chance to "call in" the controversial plan.

Jubilant bosses at Castle Cement said that the secretary of state's decision would bring "job security" to workers at the firm's Ribblesdale plant. Bitterly disappointed protesters claimed most of the conditions now attached to the plan would not be in place had it not been for their fight. Castle Cement's works manager, Ian Sutheran, said bosses and employees at the firm were delighted that quarrying could now commence.

"The quarry will preserve the many local jobs provided by the firm directly and indirectly. It will also help to maintain a local industry which is vital not just to the economy of the Ribble Valley but the wider region."

He said Castle Cement promised to honour its environmental commitments.

He said quarrying will start as soon as possible.

Protester Mary Gysbers, of the Bellman Quarry Action Group, said she hoped future generations of Ribble Valley residents would not have cause to regret the secretary of state's decision.

"We had hoped to air our views at a public inquiry and are very disappointed that we will not now be able to. Sixty-six conditions have been imposed on the scheme and we feel that even these would not have been in place but for our efforts.

"We hope the conditions will be effectively monitored."

Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans, who has opposed the scheme from the outset, accused John Prescott of abdicating his responsibility and passing the buck back to County Hall.

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