Anger continues to grow, as do the formal objections, as residents make their voices heard in their opposition to the proposed quarry at Palmers Farm in Wootton.
The serious concerns of residents regarding plans to extract almost a million tons of aggregates by strip-mining agricultural land have been ignored, say members of the pressure group WAGE (Wootton, Whippingham and Arreton Against Gravel Extraction), who report that a 2010 survey commissioned by the Isle of Wight Council concluded that Palmers Farm would be among the least favourable sites for gravel extraction on the Island.
Although the planning application 22/00654/FUL states gravel trucks will not meet each other along Brocks Copse Road or Alverstone Road, there is no mention of other lorries, vans and farm vehicles or the safety risks to horse riders, walkers, and cyclists. A proposed reduction in the speed limit wouldn’t negate these risks, say WAGE, due to the very limited width of these roads.
Wight Building Material’s suggested improvements to off-road routes would only apply to a limited section of the Isle of Wight Coastal path, which runs right along Brocks Copse Road. This road also forms part of the popular Round the Island cycle route.
Residents are highlighting that the planned quarry site is next to a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), ancient woodland and a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation. Similar proposals to relocate protected species to new habitats have ended in disaster in other schemes, it’s claimed.
A WAGE spokesperson has this week said:
“We were dumbfounded by Wight Building Materials’ recent press statement claiming measures had ‘addressed the issues raised locally’ regarding site traffic, the proposed route for HGVs and potential environmental impact of this development. That is not the case.”
“Wight Building Materials acknowledge there will be water run-off into Kings Quay which is a designated ‘Ramsar site’, a wetland area of international importance for birds, where seals and sea eagles have been spotted. Land in the area contains zinc, lead, nitrates, arsenic and mercury which will be washed into Kings Quay along with spilled oil, diesel, rubber particles and other pollutants from the site”.
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Councillor Daryll Pitcher has said:
“We cannot understand why a full, independent Environmental Impact Assessment has not been carried out. I will be calling on the Isle of Wight Council to request this immediately, considering the impact on the Isle of Wight’s UNESCO biosphere status”.
One local resident directly impacted by the plans adds:
“This is a quiet rural area, and I hope people make their voices heard. The assessments commissioned by Wight Building Materials admit that there is uncertainty in the calculated site noise levels, and any mitigation of dust and particles is dependent on ‘diligent adherence to measures’ on the site.”
Residents wanting to submit their objections to the proposed gravel pit have just over 2 weeks to do so, using the Isle of Wight Council’s planning website or writing in to the planning department. The deadline for public comments is Monday 16th May.
Members of the public can also attend the Wootton Parish Council meeting which will discuss the gravel pit planning application at 19:00 on Tuesday 3rd May at Wootton Community Primary School. The WAGE website is at https://www.wage-iw.org/ and the group can be contacted via email: [email protected].
Wight Building Materials acknowledge there will be water run-off into Kings Quay which is a designated ‘Ramsar site’, a wetland area of international importance for birds, where seals and sea eagles have been spotted. Land in the area contains zinc, lead, nitrates, arsenic and mercury which will be washed into Kings Quay along with spilled oil, diesel, rubber particles and other pollutants from the site”.
……..
and there you have it – Wight Building materials is more concerned about getting cheap gravel, improving its bottom line and thus lining the pockets of the directors with pay rises rather than protecting the environment
strip mining
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/minerals
Assessing environmental impacts from minerals extractionHow and when are the details of any significant environmental impacts best addressed
Significant environmental impacts are best addressed through consideration of an Environmental Statement which will have to accompany nearly all planning applications for new mineral working. Statutory regulators must be consulted as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment process. This ensures that the mineral planning authority has sufficient information on all environmental matters at the time the planning decision is made.
I wonder if any of those complaining use any gravel themselves, or is it a case of it’s alright if it’s done someplace else just not near where I live?
I always find it a bit hypocritical when people want all these products but don’t want them produced or in this case mined near them. Let someone else have the inconvenience, I don’t want it near me.
Not hypocritical just the way the human psyche works. No one would want to live near a quarry like this.
But its the old adage “you’re not entitled to a view” and “you’re not entitled to a quiet rural area”, cos things can change.
They are better off focusing on negative environmental impacts because that is the most important objection.
I think the term you mean is NIMBY
We need to protect our wildlife not kill em off so someone can have a driveway fgs
All the houses around Wootton displaying their wage banners most with drives what do you think was used to build them?
All 5he houses our council has approved all need gravel,the footprint trucking it from the mainland would be massive.
And my last point is I belive that when this project is finished (10 years isn’t a long time in the scheme of things) the land is going to be turned into a haven for wildlife in my opinion its a win win for both new builds and the environmental
I think we should ship gravel here from Australia, save the planet.
How dare someone run a business on this island. All the NIMBY lot is making unemployment the only growth industry.
To suggest that Brock’s Copse Road, essentially a single lane public road, should be used by vehicles suitable for hauling extracted gravels falls in the category of criminal stupidity.
Yes I agree, Palmers rd is much more suited, wider, flatter, and less distance to travel, to Blackwater. But I suppose a councillor, or a big cheese at island roads lives along there.
I see the council quiet on this one first smallbrook roundabout is made bigger southern Water put extra pipes in then Southern Electric do their bit now with all this gravel going the council would say its a shame to send it to the mainland we can use it all here at pennyfeather
One of the main hauliers for this lives in……Wootton