Plans for a new quarry to be established in Wootton have been submitted to the Isle of Wight Council, with hopes that it will help ensure the Island can source its own sand and gravel to make construction materials for the next decade.
The application by Wight Building Materials (WBM) for 10-year use of land at Palmers Farm, off Brocks Copse Road, also includes measures to alleviate local concerns over site traffic and protect and enhance the local environment – including reducing the speed limit to 30mph.
The plan is vital as Palmers Farm is the Island’s last known significant resource of available sand and gravel left. Similar materials at WBM’s current sites will run out within 2 to 3 years while the level of permitted sand and gravel reserves on the Island is now below the 7-year minimum required by national policy.
The alternative to locally-sourced aggregates is to import them from the mainland – a complex and costly operation that leaves the local construction industry vulnerable to national economic and supply factors as well as presenting the logistical challenges of importing large quantities from the mainland via unregulated large and frequent lorry movements.
WBM’s application states:
“Use of indigenous resources is…the most sustainable means of the Island meeting its own needs and one that the current Isle of Wight Core Strategy supports. Imported sand and gravel would have to travel further which is less sustainable, more expensive and reduces jobs and investment on the Island.”
While stressing the wider importance of the application, WBM is also addressing issues raised locally about the possible effect on the Wootton environment and on traffic movements.
The plan therefore commits to minimising the ecological impact both before quarrying begins (work will be undertaken in four mini-phases each restored before work on the next begins) and also afterwards when the site is re-instated to create a more diverse habitat than it is currently. These steps – assessed by Island ecological experts ARC as being a 23% habitat net gain – include planting 1.5 hectares of native woodland and 1.8km of native hedgerow, creating a designated new reptile habitat and 2 small ponds/wetland areas.
Steps to control traffic include limiting site movements to between 08:00 and 16:00 on weekdays only and then only via a designated route from the site via Brocks Copse Road and Alverstone Road (Racecourse Roundabout section). Traffic will not use Palmers Road.
Lorry movement will be co-ordinated so site vehicles do not meet each other on Brocks Copse Road or Alverstone Road and a new site access will be created on Brocks Copse Road, away from the properties in the road.
In addition, passing points in Alverstone Road will be improved while WBM will also fund the preparation of a Traffic Regulation Order to introduce a 30mph speed limit on Brocks Copse Road.
Just 2 employees using 3 vehicles (a dozer, a digger and a dumper truck) will carry out quarrying work and there will be no quarrying at the weekends nor bank holidays. No processing will be undertaken on site.
Steve Burton, WBM general manager, said:
“While this is an application of Island-wide significance, we have taken great care to listen to – and minimise the impact on – nearby residents.
“But our business – and the Island – needs sand and gravel and we can only source that where it exists. The Palmers Farm deposit is unique as it’s the last known significant resource capable of meeting the Island’s over the next decade in a tightly-controlled and highly sustainable way.”
There goes the neighbourhood
Seems like a good idea but the nimby’s will screech about it, it is amusing how these groups must spend hours dreaming up the acronym names of their groups.
Not a great deal of extra employment opportunity, three vehicles and two drivers.
The so-called Environmentalists and Eco-Warriors (aka Nimbys) will be spluttering over their tea and crumpets.
NEVER any new developments/workings/building near us, it will destroy, destroy, destroy.
They TOTALLY ignore the fact that they have their nice cozy house which was built on virgin land at some point in the past!
The Island desperately needs indigenous industries, and, all people like them want to do is halt ANY form of advancement!
Good location for accessibility
I’m not totally against it, but would the bridge at the bottom of Brocks copse Road be able to take the weight?
I don’t want a quarry either but it’s quite simple really- if you don’t want a quarry don’t buy a house or build a wall or a driveway or a patio or drive on roads. And if you do any of these things you just have to hope it’s in someone else’s back yard.
Where do you think all of the raw materials for your new electric cars come from- a quarry in someone’s back yard.
If you don’t want lorrys on the road or quarry or factories then don’t buy STUFF.