A quarry has been refused permission to carry on its work for failing to provide planners with a “comprehensive assessment” of the operation.

The quarry, on Harrington Sound Road, Smith's, was granted temporary permission to excavate slate after Hurricanes Fay and Gonzalo.

At the end of last year, full planning permission was applied for. However, the Development Applications Board (DAB) refused to allow the continuation of the operation because a “comprehensive assessment is required to determine if the quarry operation is appropriate for the location”.

The DAB's minutes state: “The applicant has failed to provide the board with a plan to illustrate the final use of the site once the quarry operation ceased. Therefore, the board is unable to determine if the new grade levels created by the current operation will be compatible with a suitable use and development of the site.”

The ruling prompted the applicants, Katherina Harlow and Heyward Burnet, to appeal to Michael Fahy, the Minister of Home Affairs, against the DAB's decision. They claimed that the refusal was “heavy handed” and “overly bureaucratic”, adding: “We urge the minister to set aside the decision of the board and grant a renewal of planning permission for quarrying this site to preserve a viable Bermudian business.”

However, Sen Fahy sided with the DAB and dismissed the appeal.

“In my view a series of temporary permissions, which were granted in exceptional circumstances due to severe storm damage, is not a substitute for a full and comprehensive application for final planning permission,” he said.

“A comprehensive application could have been prepared, submitted and processed by technical officers prior to the expiry of two temporary permissions.

“The details associated with this quarry operation must be finalised through a further application.”