CORNWALL Council is believed to have become the first local authority in England to purchase its own quarry at the cost of an estimated £1 million, writes the WMN's Lyn Barton.

The council yesterday closed the deal to buy Castle-an-Dinas Quarry at Ludgvan, near Penzance in West Cornwall.

The quarry was owned by Castle Granite Ltd, which went into administration in April.

Its purchase will secure the jobs of a dozen people and guarantee the council a steady supply of high-quality granite for building projects as well as aggregate for road works.

Robin Fisher, Cornwall Council's Highways business manager, said it was good news.

"This is an excellent purchase for the authority which not only secures employment for local people but enables us to enter the coated stone supply market at a very reasonable entry point," he said.

"We look forward to this quarry becoming an excellent addition to our service provision."

The council's Highways service currently buys more than 100,000 tonnes of materials to make bitumen for roads every year and the purchase of the quarry will ensure continuity of supply at reasonable rates.

The quarry's high-quality granite is used in building and construction, and there is a strong local market for its natural stone products and aggregates.

The site also features a Macadam plant and supplies material for road construction throughout Cornwall.

Arthur Hooper, head of Highways at Cornwall Council, said it was a win-win situation.

He said the council had purchased the majority of their aggregate from the Ludgvan site and from Dean Quarry on the Lizard. However, when the latter ceased trading, it was left with just the one local supplier. When Castle Granite Ltd went into administration earlier this year, the council faced the expensive option of having to buy aggregates from outside the county in a market where prices were rising.

Mr Hooper said he had every confidence that the quarry could be operated successfully by Cornwall Council.

"We have great experience in the service industry already," he said. "This is just another string to our bow."

Graeme Hicks, Cornwall Council Cabinet member for highways, transport and planning, said it was good move for Cornwall.

"Buying the quarry will make sure we can get hold of the right materials at the right price," he said.

"Work on Cornwall's roads is vitally important to everyone in the county and I'm proud of the fact that the council has taken this step."

Cornwall Council is believed to be the only local authority in England to own a quarry, although Tayside Contracts which provides construction services to three Scottish councils also recently bought its own quarry.

A quarry is not the most unusual purchase made by a local authority. Last year Portsmouth City Council spent an estimated £2 million to take over the UK's biggest banana importer based in the area.