Thursday, 17 August 2017

Straitgate application delayed as EA requests more information

Aggregate Industries’ planning application to quarry Straitgate Farm was due to be determined by DCC’s Development Management Committee on 6 September 2017.

Determination has now been delayed. DCC confirmed that the Environment Agency has "requested further clarification" following a meeting with AI this week.

The EA objected in April. AI subsequently delivered yet another lengthy water report, which was supposed to address the issues raised in DCC’s Reg22 request. Plainly it didn’t.

The fact that AI still can’t get its groundwater model to stack up after all these years is telling. We recently posted on the issue, saying that "for the majority of the site - except where boreholes have actually been drilled - AI and their merry band of consultants haven’t got a clue where the water is".

No doubt, if AI had just decided to leave 1m unquarried above the maximum water table to protect drinking water supplies - like any normal quarry company - it wouldn’t be in this mess.

The next DMC meeting is scheduled for 25 October. Who knows if the company’s application will be ready by then. As we post below, water isn't AI's only problem.