FAMILIES and community leaders are calling on councillors to reject controversial plans to expand a quarry.

Ibstock Brick wants to deepen and enlarge Knutton Quarry, off Church Lane, Newcastle, in order to extend its working life by 30 years.

The company says the clay is needed to supply its brick factories in Chesterton and Parkhouse, and that the proposals will therefore safeguard local jobs.

But residents living nearby are concerned about the proposal to turn the pit into a large lake once the mineral extraction has been completed.

Ibstock's latest plans show how some waste material will be used to fill the void, but the lake will still be up to 30 metres (98ft) deep, 815 metres (2,670ft) long and 315 metres (1,030ft) wide.

Staffordshire County Council's planning committee is due to make a decision on the plans next month.

Newcastle's Labour MP Paul Farrelly has written to the authority raising a number of concerns.

He said: "The plans massively extend the quarry from Knutton to Silverdale and a lake of such proportions in the middle of a densely populated urban area is utterly unacceptable.

"The company has made some minor changes to its original scheme but these would still mean the construction of a huge lake which remains a very real concern in an area that has suffered flooding in the past."

Residents living near the quarry are also concerned about the noise and dust created by the quarrying, as well as potential traffic problems caused by additional lorries.

Doreen Brennan, aged 72, of Newcastle Street, Silverdale, said: "We were told before that the quarry wouldn't come as far as here, but it seems like it will do now. It's noisy enough as it is.

"And what are they going to do with it once they've finished? I don't want a massive lake up there. I'm sure nobody around here wants that."

Linda Baddeley, aged 63, also of Newcastle Street, said: "I've got mixed views about it. It will mean jobs in the area, and we need that.

"But at the same time I am a bit worried about how big the quarry is going to be, and what's going to happen with it afterwards."

Derrick Huckfield, Ukip councillor for Knutton and Silverdale, has asked that the planning committee visits the site before making any decision on the plans.

He said: "The members of the committee are not from Silverdale, so they need to come and see the area for themselves.

"If they do decide to allow the expansion, I think an alternative to filling the void with water would be to do something similar to the Eden Project.

"Yes, it would be expensive. But Ibstock would have made a fortune from the misery of residents, so I think they should put something back."

Eileen Braithwaite, Ukip borough councillor and chairman of Silverdale Parish Council, said the lake would be unsuitable because of geological faults in the area.

She said: "It's the water I'm most concerned about.

"They say they'll put the overflow from the lake into the brook, but there's only so much it can take."

David Bridgwood, associate director of engineering consultant Wardell Armstrong, said: "We submitted an application on behalf of Ibstock to work extra clay at Knutton Quarry.

"Guaranteeing a supply of clay is important to safeguard jobs at the Chesterton, Parkhouse and Keele works. There are very few places where clay of the right type can be worked.

"The lake will be in the bottom of the quarry and be sealed with clay from the site. It will be filled by rain water and the outflow from the lake will be to the brook at a carefully controlled rate. It will not cause flooding."