Object

Representation ID: 98314

Received: 19/10/2019

Respondent: Mr JJ Gallagher

An Environmental Objection To Quarrying In The Areas of AOS E and SIL 02
Please enter this letter as my environmental objection to quarrying taking place in the areas of Area of Search (AOS) E and SIL 02 in the Preferred Consultation of the Mineral and Waste Local Plan (M&WLP) Review.
I object to the destruction of our landscape to allow for quarrying silica sand in Norfolk against UK Gov guidance in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the stated policies of the UK Gov in their documents 'The 25 Year Plan' and 'The Clean Growth Strategy'.
The NPPF requires that authorities should look to recycle before they quarry for raw materials. The NCC M&WLP does not adhere to this. It ignores planning for more efficient clear glass recycling through advanced modern technology that is available now; instead, it only tries to accommodate a profit-making company with the monopoly to quarry silica sand in Norfolk. This despite the fact that the company in question, Sibelco, are a major advanced glass recycling company in mainland Europe and their own company literature advocates for glass recycling as a win-win situation. At a time when governments worldwide and our own Government have committed to reducing the amount of greenhouse gasses the country produces, missing the chance to reduce the amounts of raw materials required to make glass and, therefore, reduce the amount of energy required and the amount of greenhouse gas produced in the process is an environmental faux-pas and renders the M&WLP flawed.
To allow any wooded area to be considered for removal in order to quarry for minerals, as is the case with AOS E, is opposed to the UK Gov policy to maintain forests and to plant more trees to aid our environment. In addition, the wooded areas within AOS E, especially Shouldham Warren, are habitats to many species of flora and fauna including many that are on protected or endangered lists. It is known the Nightjars nest in Shouldham Warren but they are not afforded the same 400m protection buffer around their area that is given to them in The Brecks, as detailed in M&WLP Policy MW5 on page 38. A full, independent, environmental study should be conducted into all of the species, especially Nightjars, in Shouldham Warren before it is included in the M&WLP for submission to the Inspector and the SoS.
Both AOS E and SIL 02 stand on primary and secondary aquifers that supply the drinking water for thousands of residents in West Norfolk. Any quarrying in these areas risks contamination of the aquifer and the drinking water and the chalk river to the north of the area, the river Nar.
I object to the plan including prime agricultural land to be lost to quarrying. Again the UK Gov policy is to increase and improve the quality of our agricultural land to allow more self-sufficiency in food production. NCC's M&WLP does not adhere to this by allowing our prime agricultural land to be included in any area proposed to be quarried.
In summary, I object on environmental grounds to quarrying in SIL 02 and AOS E for the following reasons:
● The plan does not take into consideration the current UK Gov policies on recycling glass before quarrying for more minerals; the protection of wooded areas; and the enhancement of our agricultural land.
● The inclusion of biodiverse habitats that should be protected and not destroyed.
● The potential to pollute our primary source of fresh drinking water.