Village quarry extension receives approval

Approval has been granted for a 50-acre expansion of a village quarry, which has been operational for over six decades. On Monday, Derbyshire County Council sanctioned the expansion of the 200-acre Willington Quarry site. This extension will reach into adjacent Staffordshire, situated near Newton Solney and the A38 Clay Mills junction. The expansion involves extracting 600,000 tonnes of sand and gravel from the land over a period of up to nine months, intended for the construction sector. Following this, the area will be rehabilitated into a wetland, with all operations scheduled for completion by 2027. The council stated that an “established need for mineral development” exists, which is “not considered to result in any negative environmental effects.” According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), a significant portion of the 200-acre site, located near Eggington, has been quarried by companies since the 1960s and subsequently converted into a wetland nature reserve. Submissions from Cemex indicate that a temporary bridge, measuring 28m (91ft), will be constructed across the River Dove to facilitate the transportation of materials back to the current plant site. Entry to the plot will remain accessible via The Castle Way in Willington and High Bridge Lane, anticipating 200 daily vehicle movements. Approximately twelve individuals opposed the proposals, citing worries about “unacceptable” noise, dust, and the impact on the landscape surrounding Newton Solney, where residences are situated 80m (262ft) from the planned boundary. During the meeting, Steven Kelsey, who serves as vice chairman of Newton Solney Parish Council, emphasized the necessity of evaluating the project’s effect on the village, noting recent accounts of dust from operations 300m (984ft) distant settling on vehicles. Tom Cox, representing Cemex, stated that the material extracted from the site would be moist, thereby preventing dust from dispersing into the adjacent vicinity. Planning officers from the county council further commented: “The analyses of the potential environmental effects associated with the development, such as noise and dust emissions, have demonstrated that these effects are individually within accepted limits.”