Residents of Wootton are urging the Isle of Wight Council to seriously consider the potential impact on health from Wight Building Materials’ proposed sand and gravel quarry at Palmers Farm.
The nearest existing housing in Wootton is just 50m away from the proposed extraction site, and a new housing development has been approved just 75m away.
A large area of Wootton, including Wootton Primary School and the Public Recreational Ground, could be at risk due to the prevailing south-west winds, say locals.
Members of the Wootton, Whippingham and Arreton Against Gravel Extraction (WAGE) group say that sand and gravel quarrying should not be located close to housing and that is the conclusion drawn from evidence gathered internationally in recent years. The World Health Organisation has stated that “there is no evidence of a safe level of exposure or threshold below which no adverse health effects occur”.
Many countries are already using legislation to stop sand and gravel extraction being sited near residential areas. A Private Members Bill tabled in Parliament in 2021 advocated limiting sand and gravel quarrying to a minimum of 1000m from any residential area.
A spokesperson for WAGE has commented:
“An independent review by industry experts of the Dust and Air Quality Impact Assessment submitted by Wight Building Materials for the Palmers Farm scheme has found that it is not fit for purpose. It does not meet Institute of Air Quality Management best practice and no assessment has been made of the health impact of Respirable Crystalline Silica escaping from the site.”
Article continues below this advertisement “In addition to the road safety issues of the scheme and harm to the environment, this planning application must also be rejected on health grounds. Commercial interests should not prevail over these concerns. We are calling for the Island’s mineral plan to be reviewed to take newly emerging health research into account.”
Are you having a laugh?. Air quality poor from digging holes. Air quality is worse from all the hot air these people are releasing from going on about it. I’m sure if thousands of ton’s have to be transported by ship ,road etc to get here there is far more pollution. The Island has in past had a number of quarries and sand pits and no issues.
100s of years ago the island did have quarries and pits, but all of the workers are now dead.
I think that says it all.
Guess, they all died of old age then!
You clearly have no clue, youu probably think by putting your head in a hole knowbody will see you……
Why make a stupid statement like you have, you must know nothing about the dangers of Crystalline Silica. I worked in the industry for more than 30 years in Dorset and have first hand knowledge of the sand and gravel extraction and the effect it has on people. Your reference to past quarries on the island have never been in peoples back yard.
“..A large area of Wootton, including Wootton Primary School and the Public Recreational Ground, could be at risk due to the prevailing south-west winds, say locals…”
Well that is a strange argument as the prevailing wind will blow any air pollution AWAY from those areas….
Even Boy Scouts know Palmers Farm is north west of Wootton meaning the prevailing south-west winds would blow any potential dust away from Wootton.
We had all this nonsense only a few months back and, if I recall correctly, there were even photos of houses in that area with piles of gravel in their front garden alongside signs saying they were opposed to gravel extraction.
Yes, we want the gravel, we just don’t want it extracted near us. Let someone else have the inconvenience.
Surely even the name of one of the roads in the area – Gravel Pit Road – might give these people a clue as to what has been going on in the area where they bought their houses.
We all know that IW Council know what they are doing.
Look how they have handled the Floating Bridge saga.
Lol
I am all for if plus I am from the over side of the island more jobs for the island so yes go for it
That’s it I’m selling my beach front home as its now to dangerous to live near the sand. Somebody tell the tourists quick.
Is that why nomads keep moving? they are running away from the sand.
can this world get any more bloody stupid..utter bollocks.
Whilst I don’t live in close proximity to the site and realise I’m unlikely to be effected by this I do feel the Island will benefit from having as much of it’s own resources as posible. Any ” dust ” or other nuicance potential that may arrise from these activities can surely be managed, fine spray of water for example would remove dust from the air, wheel washing before lorries leave site would keep roads clean etc. etc. Just takes a bit of thought and the benefits to us all and the reduction in travel miles for these essential materials are certainly worthwhile.
Anyone that walks along the lane at Palmers Road will see the shocking state of the hedges that have been uprooted and torn down. One person is living along there illegally. The building site has also caused problems. Thats without the new builds planned. What made Wooton Bridge a lovely place to live is being threatened.