A new report on the proposed transportation of 900,000 tons of gravel from Palmers Farm in Wootton for processing in Arreton has identified serious highway safety issues.
Specialists in road transport planning, YES Engineering Group, has produced a detailed 33-page Transport Report on the gravel pit plan on behalf of community group Wootton, Whippingham & Arreton Against Gravel Extraction (WAGE).
Fundamental transport problems with the Palmer’s Farm scheme were highlighted in June this year by Hampshire County Council, which is being consulted on the application due to the conflict of interest of Island Roads sharing a parent company with Palmer’s Farm gravel pit developer Wight Building Materials.
Transport Director at YES Engineering, Kathryn Backhouse, has said:
“We have looked in greater detail at the areas of concern raised by Hampshire County Council. These relate to a host of factors including site access and road safety, particularly with regard to visibility including at the junction of Alverstone Road and Brocks Copse Road, and overall suitability of the proposed route.”
The Transport Report on the Palmer’s Farm scheme has been submitted to the Isle of Wight Council planning department in order for it to be considered during determination of the current planning application for the Palmer’s Farm gravel pit.
A spokesman for WAGE, has said:
“YES Engineering have underlined our concern that the possibility of 50 gravel truck movements per day along narrow country lanes used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders as well as other vehicles is a tragedy waiting to happen. These transport experts also examined alternative routes between Palmers Farm and the A3054 and found that none are suitable for the proposed scheme.”
Article continues below this advertisement “Our conclusion is that the current planning application should be rejected on highways grounds, even before considering the many other problems this huge gravel pit would cause for local people and wildlife. The Isle of Wight Council needs to find out why the Island is not hitting the aggregate recycling targets it has set, and do something to fix that, before allowing yet more farmland to be dug up.”
A link to the full Transport Report can be found on the WAGE website www.wage-iw.org
For more details on the environmental and health implications of the Palmer’s Farm gravel pit application, or to offer their support to the WAGE campaign, Islanders can email [email protected]
NIMBY’s of Arreton hitting off again
No, it’s their relatives in Wootton this time.
Over 50 heavy lorries a week on that route? Are they serious? No way
It’s 50 a DAY not week!
Its not 50 lorries ,its a few lorries doing multiple trips.
Surely a simple case of processing the gravel on site at Wooton then?
A cleaning plant could be built there, plenty of room, and water and few houses to complain about the noise etc.
No need to take the Mountain to Mohamed
Then only a few lorries needed when the gravel is sold to greedy, council pal developers to ruin this Island even more
It doesn’t matter how sensible or valid the objections. The main issue is the thickness of the brown envelope
This is just what they want, to be forced into using the cheaper route of Palmers Road. And all because of the NIMBYs.
It didn’t need an ‘expert’ to deem Brocks Copse Road unsuitable. It was just stupid.
Island roads (wight building materials),are involved. Therefore it will be stupid.
thought Island roads would get there mittens into a project of this nature
The IWC won’t listen and do what they like anyway
maybe because I.O.W council has contracted island roads to carry out the hyway inferstructure on the I.O.W