Bosses of a Shropshire quarry have unveiled new £1 million plans to extend its life for a further 10 years – just weeks after another site was given permission to expand.

Salop Sand and Gravel Ltd, which owns Gonsal Quarry, near Shrewsbury, is about to launch a major public consultation over the proposals, which would see an access road built and a nature conservation park for a colony of great crested newts.

But Richard Parton, managing director of the firm, said he had also been drawing up alternative plans for a smaller scheme further away from the village of Ryton, near Dorrington, which will also be put to residents to consider.

News of the plans, which would protect the jobs of 15 workers and six hauliers, comes weeks after Aggregates Industries UK Ltd was given permission to extend Haughmond Hill Quarry, despite public opposition.

Mr Parton said a public exhibition of both options would be held on October 6, between 11am and 8pm at Condover Village Hall.

The quarry boss said the larger scheme would involve a new access road to the site across Grove Farm along with major changes to a dangerous road junction meeting the A49.

He said: “Salop Sand and Gravel have been operating from this quarry for over 50 years and have only about two years’ minerals for which they have planning permission to extract.

“A completely new junction will be formed and a new wider stretch of A49 would be built resulting in a huge improvement to both Grange Lane and the currently very dangerous Stapleton Junction incorporat- ing a central lane for cars and lorries to wait when turning into either junction.

“The new access is budgeted to cost the company £1.35 million and follows many years of negotiation with the Highways Agency, Network Rail and Shropshire Council to try and find an alternative route for traffic so as to avoid Condover and the back roads to Dorrington the Quarry currently uses.”

Mr Parton said that during studies carried out at the quarry site it had been discovered that it was actually home to a number of great crested newts – a protected species.

He said the plans involved the creation of a conservation park where the animals would be relocated.