A CAMPAIGN group’s fight against a quarry can continue after it scored a victory over costs.

Rivington Against Greenbelt Exploitation (RAGE) was concerned it would not be able to fight on because it could be hit with a bill of more than £50,000 if it were to lose.

A judge decided there is a case to answer over the extension at Pilkington Quarry, so the judicial review and a Protective Costs Order is now in place protecting the group from paying the full costs of the case.

RAGE spokesman Marcus Simmons said: “We are a group of people fighting against a council with large resources, and a commercial organisation with very large resources in terms of manpower and finance.

“When those things are stacked against you, it is difficult for groups like us to access justice.

“We may still incur substantial costs, and we are talking five figures, but not the full amount.”

The judicial review is expected to be held in December.

It concerns an extension to Pilkington Quarry, which the group says will effectively create another quarry at the site in George’s Lane, Horwich.

Armstrongs Aggregates was granted permission for an extension to extract 880,000 tonnes of highquality sandstone block and produce two million tonnes of aggregate by-product in January.

RAGE says there was inadequate information about the environmental impact of the development.

The group previously threatened to take a separate planning application for operations to continue until 2042 to judicial review, but Bolton Council decided to quash the plans.

A council spokesman said: “We are unable to comment on this as we are currently in a legal process.”