Quarrying firm Ennstone Johnstone Limited wants to open a site next to the A45, between Earls Barton and Cogenhoe.

Over six years, the company wants to remove 1.1 million tonnes of sand and gravel from a quarry which would be about the same size as Cogenhoe village.

A report which was due to be seen by members of Northamptonshire County Council's Development Control Committee this morning, suggested councillors should back the scheme.

The report, written by the authority's principal development control officer, James Griffin, said: "The site is remote from residential properties and the proposed planning conditions can control impact such as noise, dust and traffic.

"The temporary disturbance to the public rights of way network is not significant."

Ennstone Johnstone plans to use sand and gravel taken from the new quarry to supply the building industry. It has estimated up to 194 lorries could visit the site each day.

After the quarry closes, some of the land would be returned to fields while other parts would be turned into wetlands and reed beds.

The proposals led to a number of letters being sent to the council by residents who were concerned the Nene Valley was being over-quarried.

But in his report, Mr Griffin said a number of conservation groups had raised no concerns about the plans.

He said: "The restoration of the site to a mixture of agriculture and wetland habitat, wet grassland, reed bed, open water and wet woodland, is considered to be acceptable and is supported by organisations such as English Nature, the Wildlife Trust, the RSPB and the River Nene Regional Park."

Members of the county council's development control committee were due to make a final decision on the scheme this morning.