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Initial Consultation document
Representation ID: 92067
Received: 10/08/2018
Respondent: Longwater Gravel Co. Ltd.
I write to confirm that Longwater Gravel agree with and support Norfolk County Council's initial conclusion to allocate MIN 64.
Longwater Gravel Company is a small scale quarry operator which specialises in small deliveries of sand and gravel to a customer base which includes local builders, groundworkers and the general public. We also supply sand and gravel to a number of small volume readymixed concrete producers.
Our quarry at Horstead produces natural shingle, primarily used as a decorative aggregate for driveways, etc. along with a high quality building sand. MIN 64 would form an extension to the quarry and would provide sand and gravel reserves of around 650,000 tonnes. There are no plans to increase production, which is limited by Section 106 agreement to 50,000 tonnes/year. It is anticipated that existing permitted reserves at Horstead Quarry will be exhausted within the next 2-3 years and so following the successful granting of planning permission, extraction could commence in MIN 64 by the end of 2020. It should be noted MIN 64 did originally comprise the field to the west and having received planning permission, extraction has now been carried out in this area for over two years.
It is proposed to plant a small area of mixed native woodland trees in the north east corner of MIN 64, this would be planted in advance of mineral extraction commencing and once established would serve to soften views of the soil storage/screening bunds of the final eastern phase from the properties located at the north east boundary. Views of MIN 64 from the Buxton Road will be screened by the placement of soil storage bunds along the southern boundary with the existing hedgerow strengthened by additional planting of native species hedgerow trees.
MIN 64 would be worked in five separate phases working and restoring progressively from west to east. The washing plant, weighbridge and access would be retained in the existing quarry with sand and gravel transported from MIN 64 by dumptruck using an internal haulroad constructed in the northwest corner. Other than mobile plant such as excavator, loader and dumptruck, no other quarry equipment will be located within MIN 64. There are no plans to create an access directly from MIN 64 onto Buxton Road.
On completion of sand and gravel extraction, the land would be restored to agricultural use at a lower level with sloping margins around the perimeter of the extraction area which would be constructed using the surplus silt from the gravel washing operation. There are no plans to import any material e.g. household waste or inert waste to restore the site. The overall timescale to complete extraction and restoration of MIN 64 would be around 13 years.
We have asked Small Fish Consultants to assess MIN 64 and our proposals against the emerging Minerals and Waste Local Plan and they will comment separately.
Summary: Longwater Gravel agrees with Norfolk County Council's initial conclusion to allocate MIN64. This would form an extension to an already established quarry and would enable production to continue for a further 13 years. We are fully committed to submitting an application for planning permission which will meet all of the requirements set out in M&WLP and MIN 64 within the next two years.
I write to confirm that Longwater Gravel agree with and support Norfolk County Council's initial conclusion to allocate MIN 64.
Longwater Gravel Company is a small scale quarry operator which specialises in small deliveries of sand and gravel to a customer base which includes local builders, groundworkers and the general public. We also supply sand and gravel to a number of small volume readymixed concrete producers.
Our quarry at Horstead produces natural shingle, primarily used as a decorative aggregate for driveways, etc. along with a high quality building sand. MIN 64 would form an extension to the quarry and would provide sand and gravel reserves of around 650,000 tonnes. There are no plans to increase production, which is limited by Section 106 agreement to 50,000 tonnes/year. It is anticipated that existing permitted reserves at Horstead Quarry will be exhausted within the next 2-3 years and so following the successful granting of planning permission, extraction could commence in MIN 64 by the end of 2020. It should be noted MIN 64 did originally comprise the field to the west and having received planning permission, extraction has now been carried out in this area for over two years.
It is proposed to plant a small area of mixed native woodland trees in the north east corner of MIN 64, this would be planted in advance of mineral extraction commencing and once established would serve to soften views of the soil storage/screening bunds of the final eastern phase from the properties located at the north east boundary. Views of MIN 64 from the Buxton Road will be screened by the placement of soil storage bunds along the southern boundary with the existing hedgerow strengthened by additional planting of native species hedgerow trees.
MIN 64 would be worked in five separate phases working and restoring progressively from west to east. The washing plant, weighbridge and access would be retained in the existing quarry with sand and gravel transported from MIN 64 by dumptruck using an internal haulroad constructed in the northwest corner. Other than mobile plant such as excavator, loader and dumptruck, no other quarry equipment will be located within MIN 64. There are no plans to create an access directly from MIN 64 onto Buxton Road.
On completion of sand and gravel extraction, the land would be restored to agricultural use at a lower level with sloping margins around the perimeter of the extraction area which would be constructed using the surplus silt from the gravel washing operation. There are no plans to import any material e.g. household waste or inert waste to restore the site. The overall timescale to complete extraction and restoration of MIN 64 would be around 13 years.
We have asked Small Fish Consultants to assess MIN 64 and our proposals against the emerging Minerals and Waste Local Plan and they will comment separately.