In November 2002, Tarmac Northern Ltd announced that they intended to expand Nosterfield Quarry. They put forward a two-stage plan. Firstly, they would apply for a short-term extension on Ladybridge Farm. This is now a formal planning application. Secondly, Tarmac said they intended to quarry Thornborough Moor, and they produced a possible restoration plan that showed the northern henge skirted by a lake. Experience shows that all shallow land in the area left by quarrying is prone to flooding, it is therefore our worst fear that the henges will end up surrounded by lake and bog. When challenged by English Heritage and others, who voiced strong objections to further extending quarrying in the area, Tarmac claimed that they would not proceed with the Thornborough Moor application until the outcome of English Heritages investigations into the area were known and a conservation plan had been created. However, they still chose to press ahead with the Ladybridge application despite it being within the area of the investigation and the conservation plan. In March of 2004 it emerged that Tarmac had for some time owned Thornborough Moor as well as the central and southern henges. They later announced that they intended to ask North Yorkshire County Council to make Thornborough Moor a preferred area for mineral extraction and within the Ladybridge Application there is a line which states that the next area for quarrying will be to the south of the current application. In January 2005, Tarmac were accused by fellow members of the consultation group formulating the Thornborough conservation plan of causing undue delay in the creation of the conservation plan. Of course delaying the plan until after the planning application for Ladybridge has been determined is in Tarmac's interest - for without a conservation plan to take into account, the council planners will have less reason to decline to application. Clearly, Tarmac do not intend to quarry the henges, that would be illegal, neither do they intend to quarry the remains of the cursus or Three Hills barrow cemetery. These are all Scheduled Ancient Monuments and protected by law. However they do intend to quarry as much of the monument complex as they can. If the Ladybridge application is allowed, Thornborough Moor will follow.