A CONTROVERSIAL quarry will come under scrutiny at a meeting today.

Stainton Quarry, near Barnard Castle, has been at the centre of a quarrel between local villagers and Ennstone Building Products, which owns the site.

Stainton villagers say the sandstone quarry creates unbearable amounts of noise, and the site should be monitored more closely.

The village action group also claims that the quarry, which has been working stone since 1961, is breaking the terms of its working agreement with Durham County Council by importing more stone for processing than is extracted from the site.

Under the agreement the company is only allowed to import 50 per cent of the stone it processes.

At today's meeting of Teesdale District Council, representatives from the county council will discuss the findings of a monitoring exercise at the quarry, although that section of the agenda will be closed to the Press and public.

Stewart Provan, director of development control for the county council, said: "There won't be any new developments discussed, it will be just a chance for us to update members on the monitoring exercise, at their request.

"Members are obviously eager to keep a check on the quarry and they have no doubt been contacted by local residents."

No-one from Ennstone Building Products was available for comment on the issue last night.