Residents Request Rejection of Quarry Proposal

At the conclusion of a two-week planning inquiry, residents formally requested the rejection of a proposed quarry development on the site of a former private airfield. Brett Aggregates submitted an application to extract approximately eight million tonnes of sand and gravel over a 32-year period from the former Hatfield Aerodrome, situated near Hatfield, Hertfordshire. Earlier this year, Hertfordshire County Council rejected the company’s most recent proposal, leading to an appeal being lodged with the Planning Inspectorate. On Friday, the Colney Heath Group informed Melvyn Middleton of the Planning Inspectorate that the proposed quarry would inflict “significant and irreversible harm”. This group, established to represent residents and campaigners during the inquiry, asserted that the potential risks to health, local amenities, and the ecosystem surpassed any prospective advantages. They implored the Inspectorate to recommend the plan’s refusal “to safeguard the environment, the community and the future sustainability of Hertfordshire”. In its closing statement, the group contended that the quarry would compromise the Green Belt’s purpose and its function in preventing urban sprawl. Representatives for the applicant, Brett Aggregates, and Hertfordshire County Council also presented their closing statements. As reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Richard Kimblin KC, in Brett Aggregates’ closing statement, highlighted areas of agreement between the company and the county council, advocating for permission to be granted. He referenced the former aerodrome site’s inclusion in the Hertfordshire Minerals Local Plan, stating: “It is exactly where the council wants to see minerals worked.” Mr. Kimblin proposed that the councillors’ reasons for refusal were “driven by local residents rather than professional advice”. Upon the inquiry’s conclusion, Mr. Middleton is set to submit a recommendation to Angela Rayner, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, who will ultimately decide whether the quarry project proceeds. Information regarding Beds, Herts, and Bucks news is accessible via BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external sites. Details regarding its approach to external linking are available.