THE immediate future of Meldon Quarry and its employees looks bleak following a decision to consider mothballing the quarry.

Bardon Aggregates, which runs operations at the quarry, is considering Meldon's future, following the fall in requirement for rail ballast, and the difficult economic climate. The company employs eight people at the site.

A spokesperson for Bardon Aggregates said: 'The decline in production at Meldon Quarry is reflective of the weak market conditions and wider economic difficulties that are being encountered by both the UK quarrying and construction industries.

'The position for Meldon has been made particularly hard with a reduction in the requirement for rail ballast over the past two years.

'It is therefore necessary for us to consider mothballing the quarry, and a consultation process with affected employees is underway. At this stage we have made no final decision to the immediate future of the site.

'We appreciate that this is a difficult time for employees and we will be working closely with them during this comprehensive consultation period.'

West Devon Borough and Devon county councillor Christine Marsh said she was very 'disappointed and saddened' by the announcement, coming as it did in the wake of job losses from factories in the town.

Cllr Marsh said: 'The company can't just up and leave the quarry — there will be a maintenance team in place to look after that side of things. We really hope that if the company does decide to mothball the quarry, it's not a long-term situation and that other contracts can be struck up to restart production.

'The quarry has also been important in ensuring that our railway line has stayed in place, and not been taken out.

'It's another unfortunate, negative story for the town, which isn't what we need right now, but from here the only way is up.'

After Okehampton, Bow, North Tawton and Sampford Courtenay lost their passenger train services in 1972, the railway line survived thanks to the activities of the quarry.

British American Railway Services Ltd, which became the owner of Dartmoor Railway, is currently developing freight, passenger and tourist services for the Okehampton line.

If the quarry were to close, it is thought that the future of the railway line might also be put into jeopardy.

The potential mothballing would bring to an end more than 100 years of production at the quarry. The quarry was founded almost by accident, coming about as the result of the railway line construction two to three miles west of Okehampton.

During construction of the track in about 1874, the hard local rock was impeding the progress being made.

The Dartmoor stone was found to be very durable and therefore suitable for ballast on the track. Before long the rock was being taken further afield for use on the construction of other train lines. The quarry was officially established in 1897, but had been providing work at the site for years before that.

A formal decision on the quarry's future is expected to be made in the next few weeks.

l Details on the quarry's history were kindly supplied by local historian Mike Wreford