19 September 2009
The Essex County Council Minerals Development Document: Site Allocations - Issues and Options Paper (August 2009) has been published which includes 9 new developer proposals for mineral sites in addition to those already identified for Essex.
One of the new sites is described as "Parkgate Farm, Silver End", though actually it also includes land in Kelvedon Parish, as well as Silver End Parish. The proposal is to dig 7.9 million tonnes of sand and gravel over a period of up to 20 years across a 199 hectare swathe of countryside.
Cllr. James Abbott, a Green Party District Councillor for Silver End said
"There are already a number of new gravel sites proposed in this area, including further extensions at Bradwell/Rivenhall Airfield and the huge proposal south of the A12 at Rivenhall End. The Parkgate Farm proposal is in addition to those.
If this went ahead it would be a shocking assault on the countryside and its difficult to take in just how devastating this would be to the many people who enjoy the peaceful countryside of this area.
A number of homes would be directly affected, included two listed farms. Footpaths and tracks would be disrupted. The currently fairly quiet rural lanes would be forced to carry gravel lorries daily, making walking and cycling dangerous for local people as there are no roadside paths here. There are many important woods on or near the site, including Storey's Wood, which is a County Wildlife Site, supposedly protected. The habitat surveys for the nearby waste site application proved just how valuable this area is for dozens of species of birds, mammals and protected species such as bats.
This proposal comes at a time when the local community is already fighting plans for what could be one of the largest waste sites in Europe right next to this gravel proposal on Rivenhall Airfield. The immediate question arises as to whether the two developments are in any way linked ?"
The schedule in the Essex County Council document states that
The site would be worked either as an extension to the Rivenhall Airfield site, or new freestanding quarry with access onto the future A120 / A12 improvement route, when constructed.
Cllr. Abbott commented
"This schedule makes no sense. We know that a new A120 is off the agenda, bringing the prospect of all the trucks using local roads. To the East there is a 7.5 tonne weight restriction in Hollow Road, Kelvedon. So all the lorries would have to come through the middle of Silver End village or the middle of Rivenhall village or use the existing haul road through to Bradwell, crossing the Protected Ashes Lane - which is also the proposed access for the waste site.
This latest developer proposal comes on top of the waste site plans, other gravel pit proposals and the proposed major housing scheme at Rivenhall put forward for the Braintree District Local Development Framework. Many local people feel that this area is now under seige from developers who have little regard for the countryside or our local communities".
The Essex County Council Minerals Development Document: Site Allocations - Issues and Options Paper (August 2009) has been published which includes 9 new developer proposals for mineral sites in addition to those already identified for Essex.
One of the new sites is described as "Parkgate Farm, Silver End", though actually it also includes land in Kelvedon Parish, as well as Silver End Parish. The proposal is to dig 7.9 million tonnes of sand and gravel over a period of up to 20 years across a 199 hectare swathe of countryside.
Cllr. James Abbott, a Green Party District Councillor for Silver End said
"There are already a number of new gravel sites proposed in this area, including further extensions at Bradwell/Rivenhall Airfield and the huge proposal south of the A12 at Rivenhall End. The Parkgate Farm proposal is in addition to those.
If this went ahead it would be a shocking assault on the countryside and its difficult to take in just how devastating this would be to the many people who enjoy the peaceful countryside of this area.
A number of homes would be directly affected, included two listed farms. Footpaths and tracks would be disrupted. The currently fairly quiet rural lanes would be forced to carry gravel lorries daily, making walking and cycling dangerous for local people as there are no roadside paths here. There are many important woods on or near the site, including Storey's Wood, which is a County Wildlife Site, supposedly protected. The habitat surveys for the nearby waste site application proved just how valuable this area is for dozens of species of birds, mammals and protected species such as bats.
This proposal comes at a time when the local community is already fighting plans for what could be one of the largest waste sites in Europe right next to this gravel proposal on Rivenhall Airfield. The immediate question arises as to whether the two developments are in any way linked ?"
The schedule in the Essex County Council document states that
The site would be worked either as an extension to the Rivenhall Airfield site, or new freestanding quarry with access onto the future A120 / A12 improvement route, when constructed.
Cllr. Abbott commented
"This schedule makes no sense. We know that a new A120 is off the agenda, bringing the prospect of all the trucks using local roads. To the East there is a 7.5 tonne weight restriction in Hollow Road, Kelvedon. So all the lorries would have to come through the middle of Silver End village or the middle of Rivenhall village or use the existing haul road through to Bradwell, crossing the Protected Ashes Lane - which is also the proposed access for the waste site.
This latest developer proposal comes on top of the waste site plans, other gravel pit proposals and the proposed major housing scheme at Rivenhall put forward for the Braintree District Local Development Framework. Many local people feel that this area is now under seige from developers who have little regard for the countryside or our local communities".
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