East Surrey MP, Peter Ainsworth, has today written to Surrey County Council’s Planning and Regulation Committee to express his opposition to proposals to erect a Dry Silo Mortar plant at North Park Farm in Godstone.
Officers at Surrey County Council have recommended to the Planning and Regulation Committee that the application by Tarmac Ltd, the owners of the quarry, to erect the plant in North Park Farm should be approved.
The application will now go before the Planning and Regulation Committee on Wednesday 27th February.
Mr Ainsworth said of the application,
“In short, the site has a troubled planning history and activities there have been, for some years, in conflict with the well-being of the local community; this development would add to the nuisance and health concerns caused by dust and pollution; it would threaten the contamination of water; it would be visually intrusive and unpleasant to look at; and there is no compelling reason to build it in a protected area.”
He went on to say,
“I hope the Council will give careful consideration to the points raised in this letter and by the representatives of the Quarry Observation Group before reaching a decision.”
ENDS
PRESS CONTACT: 020 7219 5151
Notes to Editors:
The meeting will take place on 27th February at 2pm
Cllr Marian Myland will read out Mr Ainsworth’s letter at the meeting
Five members of the Quarry Observation Group shall also make their representations against the application. The speakers will include:
o Ann Butler (Parish Councillor)
o CPRE representative
o Brian Wood (a professional planner - will deal with technical aspects)
o Plus 2 others
1) the full text of Peter Ainsworth’s letter is as follows:
27th February 2008
I am very sorry that Parliamentary business means that I cannot be with you this evening; however I would like to take this opportunity to express my opposition, and the reasons behind it, to the application by TARMAC Ltd. to erect a Dry Silo Mortar plant at North Park Farm in Godstone.
WBB Minerals, the operators of the plant, have already admitted to fourteen major breaches of the original approved plans, five of which were measures to control dust. Local residents have already complained about dust clouds emanating from the existing works at the quarry and are understandably concerned that these could lead to health problems; with PM10 levels already over the 2010 EU mandatory settings according to WBB Minerals themselves. A giant diesel generator would only add to the existing levels of pollution.
I also have concerns over the method WBB use to control dust. At present, they currently use water sprays to reduce dust, to limited effect, but this may not be permitted by DEFRA in drought conditions. The erection of a new Dry Silo Mortar plant would make this problem worse.
There is also the potential pollution of the water abstraction zones at the site. TARMAC has stated that:
“…in order to protect the groundwater resources, the process plant will be more than 7m above the water table”.
However, since the groundwater levels fluctuate with a margin of 1 to 5 meters over time; at the higher end of this spectrum, this would mean that the site could be 1 – 2 meters below the water table leaving little protection for groundwater resources.
In addition, TARMAC’s plans threaten to create a hideous eyesore on the edge of Godstone; an area which is partially designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. TARMAC have already admitted to building their processing plant 10ft higher than approved. It is not clear why this abuse of permission appears to have been tolerated. The new Dry Silo Mortar plant would be almost 30ft higher than the tallest buildings currently on the site and constitute an unacceptable visual intrusion in a protected location.
Significantly, it now appears that there is little need for this development. Surrey County Council in a report last November said that there was only one other Dry Silo Mortar Plant in SE England and that the need for such technology overrode the fact that the quarry was partially sited on an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Metropolitan Green Belt. However, it has since emerged that there are four others in the South East, with one just up the road from TARMAC in Addlestone. Whilst I accept that, in exceptional circumstances – and particularly where the national interest will be served – it may sometimes be necessary to make exceptions to Green Belt protection, I do not believe that there are overriding criteria for approval.
Local residents have over the years had much to put up with. The current proposals only add to their difficulties with the increased traffic, pollution and noise the operation would generate.
In short, the site has a troubled planning history and activities there have been, for some years, in conflict with the well-being of the local community; this development would add to the nuisance and health concerns caused by dust and pollution; it would threaten the contamination of water; it would be visually intrusive and unpleasant to look at; and there is no compelling reason to build it in a protected area.
I hope the Council will give careful consideration to the points raised in this letter and by the representatives of the Quarry Observation Group before reaching a decision.
Yours sincerely,
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