Plans by Hydraulic Lias Lime (Hl2) to produce British lime mortars in Appledore Quarry near Long Sutton, Somerset, have been turned down by Somerset County Council.

The application was refused on the bases of access to the site being dangerous, although Hl2 director Mike Farey says the highways department had said nothing to him after their visit to the site 15 months ago.

However, as it is a access matter the application can be resubmitted with proposals for alternative access without adding to the £60,000 Hl2 have already spent on the application.

The application is for a relatively small operation producing about 25 tonnes of hydraulic lime mortar a day generating perhahps 20-25 lorry movements.

Hl2\'s mortar is currently produced at Tout Quarry, where there are hundreds of lorry movements a day associated with the block production business on the site.

Nobody lives nearby to Appledore, which is a disused quarry, but residents of the village a mile or so away have objected to the proposal. Opposition is being led, says Farey, by the landlord of a public house that, ironically, is called the Lime Kiln Inn.

Farey plans to resubmit his proposal with new access proposals and hopes the matter will be discussed at the December meeting of the county council.

The next hurdle after that is Integrate Pollution Prevention Control, when emission limits will be established for the production of the lime mortars.

Farey remains hopeful that he could be in production by the end of next year.