Craigall Quarry near Kilrea in Northern Ireland is inviting fresh scrutiny of a proposed 21.3-hectare extension after further environmental information was submitted. The Department for Infrastructure published the notice online on 12th October 2026, with its advertising register recording 6th October as the advertisement date.
The application, SPD/2024/0089/F, concerns land north-east of the existing quarry off Cullyrammer Road. For nearby residents, the immediate change is an opportunity to review additional evidence about the proposal and send comments before the Department decides the planning application. Publication of the information does not grant permission.
I would start with the updated documents if Craigall Quarry affects your home, land or daily journey. An earlier response may describe your concerns, but the useful question now is whether the new material answers them. The notice gives people 30 days from the advertisement date to make written representations.
What has changed at Craigall Quarry?
The Department’s announcement identifies this as further environmental information for an existing application. It should therefore be read as another step in assessment, rather than a newly issued permission or a declaration that the environmental effects are acceptable.
The package for Craigall Quarry includes an addendum to the Environmental Statement, responses to consultees and an amended Landscape Restoration Plan. An addendum supplements an earlier document. Consultees are the organisations asked for specialist input. Those distinctions matter when comparing what was originally submitted with the applicant’s latest answers.
For Craigall Quarry, the advertised proposal combines phased extraction and material handling with advance planting and eventual restoration. The application covers about 61.3 hectares overall, including 40 hectares within the larger approved quarry complex. The proposed extension and the whole application area are different measurements; neither should be substituted for the other.
How the environmental information fits the decision
Environmental impact assessment examines a development’s likely effects before consent is given. The Environmental Statement brings that evidence together, sometimes across several documents. The Department’s community involvement guidance explains the process and the importance of evidence when commenting on applications.
A revised restoration drawing for Craigall Quarry is worth reading alongside the proposed phases of working. I would look for a clear relationship between the land being worked, the timing of planting and the eventual landform. Those are questions to test against the documents, not findings that this proposal has failed to answer them.
The description promises biodiversity improvements through the final restoration concept. That remains part of the proposal being assessed. A consultation notice cannot demonstrate on its own that the measures will work, that every consultee agrees, or that any required safeguards have been settled.
Where to read the documents
Search the Northern Ireland Planning Register using SPD/2024/0089/F. Keep the reference beside you when checking the file so that documents concerning Craigall Quarry are matched to this extension application. The register provides the route into the application and its supporting material.
There is also a local inspection option at Kilrea Library in the Town Hall on The Diamond. Its current timetable lists Tuesday afternoon and evening, plus Thursday and Saturday sessions. Check opening hours before travelling, particularly if you need assistance locating the documents.
If the register will not open, contact the Department at [email protected] and identify the application. Ask for help accessing the additional material promptly rather than waiting until the response period is nearly over. Keep a note of what you requested and when. Before sending a response, save the document version you used and check whether a newer version has appeared. That will help you explain precisely which evidence your comments address.
Making a useful response
A response about Craigall Quarry will be easier to assess if it identifies the relevant drawing or report section and explains the concern. I would separate an observation you can substantiate from a question that needs an answer. For example, identify the location you are discussing rather than describing an unspecified effect across the whole area.
The Department’s community involvement guidance advises that planning comments should address genuine planning considerations and that evidence generally carries more weight than assertion. Concerns about the use of land, environmental effects and the protection of amenity need a reasoned explanation. Simply predicting a financial loss does not establish that a proposal is unacceptable in planning terms.
You can support the scheme, object or request clarification. Keep your response focused, avoid unnecessary personal information and explain how any suggested change would address the issue. The notice also invites information about potential equality impacts. Only raise an impact where you can explain its relevance.
Watch the advertisement date
The official notice, hosted here, says responses must arrive “not later than 30 days” from its advertisement date. Do not assume the later online publication date starts a new period. Submit early and confirm the deadline with the Department if you are uncertain.
Quote SPD/2024/0089/F when submitting comments through the register or by email. For Craigall Quarry, the next meaningful decision-stage evidence will be the Department’s determination and any accompanying conditions. Until then, keep proposed mitigation, consultation responses and an actual planning decision distinct. Our Northern Ireland planning section explains the separate jurisdiction.
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