Following the successful fight by Stop Bengeo Quarry and residents against the plan to turn Ware Park into a quarry, a new application has been submitted for a smaller extraction.
The application is to extract 1.25 million tonnes of sand and gravel, mobile dry screening plant, weighbridge, wheel cleaning facilities, ancillary site offices, construction of a new access onto Wadesmill Road with phased restoration to landscaped farmland at a lower level on Land at Ware Park.
The application states the extraction should take between 5 and 8 years, with extraction Monday to Saturday. The number of lorries proposed is 80 per day on average (40 in and 40 out), turning left when exiting.
In addition the plans show the quarry to be further from the school than previously proposed, which was a major concern during the fight from the previous application.
The application can be viewed on the HCC e-planning portal at https://cloud1.atriumsoft.com/HCCePlanningOPS/searchPageLoad.do, using the application reference number: PL\0870\17.
We will let you know when more information is received. The full letter sent to the Molewood Residents’ Association can be found below:
Application for the phased extraction of 1.25 million tonnes of sand and gravel, mobile dry screening plant, weighbridge, wheel cleaning facilities, ancillary site offices, construction of a new access onto Wadesmill Road with phased restoration to landscaped farmland at a lower level on Land at Ware Park, Wadesmill Road, Hertford, Hertfordshire (revised application).
I am writing to let you know that a revised planning application for the above proposal has been submitted. Copies of the application and the submitted plans may be inspected during normal working hours at the offices of the Planning Department of the local District Council, or by appointment at this office. All submitted application information is also available on our website: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/planning. Please note that you may submit your comments with regard to this application through our website.
A similar application was submitted last year, which was refused planning permission in March 2017. This new planning application is similar, but there are some differences which include the following:
- 1.25 million tonnes of sand and gravel proposed to be extracted (previous application 1.75 million tonnes).
- Proposed extraction time period 5 to 8 years (previous application over 7 to 10 years).
- 3 consecutive phases all within the Minerals Local Plan Preferred Area.(Previous application was over 4 consecutive phases, partially outside of the Preferred Area).
- No stockpiling area – dry screening of material would take place at the point of extraction with mobile dry screening plant.(Previous application contained a stockpile area).
- Proposed hours of operation are 07.00 -18.00 Monday to Friday and 07.00 to 13.00 on Saturdays with no working on Sundays or Bank Holidays (Same as previous application).
- Proposed lorry movements are estimated at 80 per day on average (40 in, 40 out). All HGVs to turn left when exiting the site to go along Wadesmill Road to the A602 and A10.(Previous application 100 HGVs per day 50 in, 50 out).
If you have any comments to make, please send them to the Case Officer, Ms Felicity J Hart, at the above address or via e-mail to spatialplanning@hertfordshire.gov.uk in writing by 2nd November 2017, so that they may be taken into account when the planning application is determined. If you have difficulty meeting this deadline, please let the Case Officer know immediately when you would be able to send your comments, as it may be possible to agree a slightly longer period for your response. Otherwise it may be assumed that you do not wish to make any comments. When making a decision we can only take into account planning considerations.
In accordance with the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, any response you submit will be considered as a matter of public record and therefore available for public inspection.
In the event of an appeal against the decision, the regulations require me to forward to the Planning Inspectorate and to the appellant any representation sent to me, and these will be taken into account in deciding the appeal.