A bid by backbench councillors to have a borough council’s stance on a proposed quarry extension reversed has failed, despite a noisy public protest outside the Town Hall.

When responding to a consultation from Kent County Council on proposals to permit a 96-hectare extension of Hermitage Quarry in Barming across Oaken Woods, an area of Ancient Woodland, the cabinet member, Cllr Paul Cooper (Con), had written a letter broadly in support, with some qualifications requesting mitigation measures.

His letter went against the advice of his policy advisory committee who had earlier voted by seven to two that he should write a letter completely rejecting any expansion of the quarry because of the harm it would cause the ancient woodland.

His decision was called in for review by the overview and scrutiny committee on Tuesday by Cllrs Stuart Jeffery (Green), Janetta Sams (Ind) and Vanessa Jones (Ind), who wanted the subject moved to the full council for a debate.

The committee first heard from two members of the public.

Sandra Manser told the council: “I have been a parish councillor at Barming for four decades and in all that time no parish clerk has ever failed to write a letter requested by the council.

“The action by Cllr Cooper [in ignoring his advisory committee] was totally undemocratic.”

Rachel Rodwell said: “For one individual to act against the advice of the committee calls into question the viability of the advisory committee system. This should be brought before full council so that at least the public could be satisfied that a democratic process had taken place.”

Cllr Jones described Cllr Cooper’s action as “outrageous” and said: “It gives a very bad impression to residents and will make them feel that voting is a waste of time.”

Cllr Cooper defended his decision by saying that without the extension, quarrying at the site off Hermitage Lane would ultimately end. He said: “I was thinking of the 180 jobs there.”

He also said that even if an alternative source of ragstone were found, since the processing infrastructure was already at the Hermitage site, it would likely mean that stone from somewhere else in the county would be brought in by road to Maidstone to be ground up, which would have its own negative effect of the environment.

Cllr Simon Webb (Con) reminded his colleagues that the earlier committee had been “an advisory committee” and that Cllr Cooper was perfectly within his rights to take a differing view.

He said: “Taking the matter to the full council would be a complete waste of time.”

Cllr Fay Gooch (Ind) agreed. She said: “What’s done is done. Let’s not waste any more time.”

But Cllr Stephen Thompson (Green) reminded his colleagues that the council’s leader, David Burton (Con), had often promised that consideration of the environment and climate change would be part of every decision that his council made, but that had not happened here.

He said: “Let’s put life over limestone.

“The voice of the people has not been adequately heard.”

The motion to refer to the full council was lost by six votes to seven. Cllr Jones, as a visiting member and not a member of the committee, did not have a vote.

Those in favour of referral to the full council were Cllr Stuart Jeffery (Green); Cllr Brian Clark (Lib Dem), Cllr Clive English (Lib Dem), Cllr Maureen Cleator (Lab), Cllr Stephen Thompson (Green) and Cllr Richard Conyard (Lib Dem).

Those for taking no further action were: Cllr Simon Webb (Con), Cllr Tom Cannon (Con), Cllr Fay Gooch (Ind), Cllr Michelle Hastie (Con), Cllr Martin Round (Con), Cllr Annabelle Blackmore (Con) and Cllr Bob Hinder (Con).