Bengeo Quarry Plans Recommended For Refusal

A planning officer's report to the County Council has recommended that planning permission for a quarry north of Bengeo be refused.

The plans for the phased extraction of 1.25 million tonnes of sand and gravel were submitted by RJD Ltd & Gowling WLG Trust Corporation in November last year, following the rejection of an earlier application for a larger quarry 8 months earlier.

Campaign group Stop Bengeo Quarry strongly oppose the plans and have been fighting the proposals for two years.

In her report to the council, planning officer Felicity Hart gives six reasons for recommending refusal - development in the green belt, effect on the landscape, health issues, negative effects on rights of way, development outside a preferred area and noise disturbance.

Chair of the Stop Bengeo Quarry Campaign, Aska Wisniewska Pickering, commented: "We are all delighted with the recommendation of the HCC Planning Officer to refuse the second revised application to turn Bengeo Field into a quarry. We hope the HCC Development Control Committee Councillors will follow this recommendation on 26 May."

"We are calling for all the residents to also join us for the opening of the Planning Inspectorate's public inquiry on 1st May. It is vital that the inspector is given the opportunity to hear and see the strength of local opposition in relation to the proposed quarry on Bengeo Field. We have been campaigning for over two years and we are hoping that this will be the final time this totally unacceptable proposal is being considered"

The County Council's Development Control Committee will meet on Thursday 26th Apriil 2018 to make a decision on the plans. However, the applicant has already lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate, who will be holding a public enquiry on the plans next month. A recommendation will then be made to the Government, with the Secretary Of State Savid Javid making the final decision.