Public Enquiry Day 9

By Admin Comment Closed
The Public Enquiry in to the proposed quarry in Bengeo resumed this morning with questions for the Stop Bengeo Quarry Campaign's Health Impact Assessment/Air Quality expert Mr Roger Barrowcliffe. Stop Bengeo Quarry approached numerous experts in this field to represent us but many declined due to the difficulty in winning cases like these on health grounds. Roger has decades of experience in air quality and is currently Vice-Chair of the Institute of Air Quality Management. He agreed that these cases are hard won but felt there were some important uncertainties in the evidence submitted by the appellant to highlight to the inspector. This he did with credibility and clarity during questioning by SBQ's barrister. The main points covered included the following: The reference to “significance” relates to a framework constructed by Ben Cave and is not professionally recognised nationally or internationally at present (though there are some guidelines for doing HIA generally). The air quality model submitted by the appellants may...
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Public Enquiry Re-opens Next Week

By Admin Comment Closed
The Public Enquiry in to the County Council's refiusal of planning permission for a quarry in Bengeo re-open next Tuesday (23rd October) at County Hall for three days. Come and join us any time you can please, wearing red if you want to. The schedule for remaining days of the enquiry are: Tuesday 23rd October: Health witnesses and evidence in chief from Mr Symes representing the appellants Wednesday 24th October: Mr Symes' evidence cross examination and conditions for Section 106 Thursday 25th October: Closing submissions You can come any time during the day. We need the Inspector and the appellant know that the residents of Hertford will not stop campaigning to Stop Bengeo Quarry....
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Runners Raise Funds

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Runners, walkers and spectators braved the early morning chill and heavy rain on Sunday to take part in the Bengeo Field Fun Run. The event was organised by Stop Bengeo Quarry (SBQ) campaigners to demonstrate the community's unwavering determination and support for Hertfordshire County Council's (HCC) decision to refuse planning permission for an urban quarry within Hertford Town Council's boundary. The Public Inquiry, to consider the appeal by the applicant, against HCC Development Control Committee's unanimous decision on 22nd March 2017, to refuse planning permission for a quarry at Bengeo, was adjourned earlier this year in controversial circumstances. The Planning Inspector adjourned the Public Inquiry on 18th May to enable campaigners time to obtain expert health advice. During the already extended Inquiry in May, members of the public questioned the applicant's health expert about their claim that the proposed quarry would have no health impact on children attending Bengeo Primary School, or on vulnerable members of the public living in nearby...
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Our Response to the Health Impact Assessment

By Admin Comment Closed
We have now formally submitted our response to the applicant's Health Impact Assessment. Photo: Paul Crowley In the summary we state: " The decision-making framework used by the HIA is not scientifically or professionally recognised and therefore these conclusions on the health impact from reduced air quality (AQ) represent judgments by Ben Cave Associates (BCA) based on evidence commissioned by the appellants. The limited scope of the literature reviewed, the absence of quantifiable risk data, the omission of specific vulnerable groups, and the reliance on highly questionable AQ models for PM leads us to question the reliability of these judgements." Our response is also critical of the desk-based methodology used in the assessment: "The absence of crucial evidence based on observations on site invalidates the conclusions of the HIA on these fundamental issues of pollution of air and groundwater. " The full response is 24 pages long and can be read by clicking the link below. » Read Response (PDF)...
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Our Health Impact Leaflet

By Admin Comment Closed
This is our last chance to tell the Planning Inspector and The Secretary Of State that Hertford Residents say NO to urban quarry plans. This leaflet is about the current health consultation - open until 28th August. Shortly before the opening of the Public Enquiry in to plans for a quarry in Bengeo, Country Council's Public Health Director withdrew the objection. However, we have managed to negotiate a final opportunity for the residents of Hertford and around to tell the Planning Inspector and the Secretary of State that we, the residents, are concerned about any quarry plans near homes, near our children's play areas and the Bengeo Primary School. The inspector WILL READ every letter. But the deadline is soon. The applicant's Health Impact Assessment that we are asked to comment on is » here. Please help us reach as many people as possible. Please share the news and make sure all who care about clean air and water in Hertford write to the...
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Bengeo Quarry – The Impact On Our Health?

By Admin Comment Closed
Your Chance to Comment on the Quarry Applicant’s Health Impact Assessment. The quarry applicant decided to appeal against the Herts County Council’s decision to reject two applications for permission to extract gravel from Bengeo Field. The appeal to the Planning Inspectorate led to a Public Inquiry which took place in May. During the inquiry the Stop Bengeo Quarry campaign requested that the residents of Hertford should be given an opportunity to comment on the Health Impact Assessment (HIA) which was submitted by the quarry applicant on the 25 April 2018 – just a few days before the public inquiry started. The Planning Inspector considered the request and decided to adjourn the inquiry until October, allowing the community of Hertford to have an opportunity to comment on the Health Impact Assessment (HIA). Of course, the quarry applicant claims in the Assessment that there will be no adverse effect on the health of local residents or the children at Bengeo Primary School. The latest version...
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Fun Run Set For September

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Our fundraising Fun Run has now been rescheduled for Sunday 23rd September at 10am. As before, adults and children can run one of three courses - a 1 kilometre run from the mobile mast to the Lonely Oak and back, a 2 kilometre run to the edge of St.John's Wood and back, or a 4 kilometre run from the mast through St.John's Wood, around Rickneys and then back again. Entry is £5 for adults with a child free, or £1 for a child. To apply to take part go to the Fun Run Registration Form. Registration Form ...
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Planning Inspectorate’s Public Hearing Adjourned Until October

By Admin Comment Closed
The Planning Inspectorate’s Public Inquiry, which started on the 1st of May, has now been adjourned until after the summer due to the many health concerns raised by members of the public. An appeal against the decision by the county council to refuse planning permission for the application to extract sand and gravel from the land (known locally as Bengeo Field) at Ware Park, Wadesmill Road, Hertford was made by RJD Ltd and Gowling WLG Trust Corporation Ltd to the Secretary of State. From the start of the Inquiry, the Stop Bengeo Quarry (SBQ) group raised the issue of the lack of public consultation about the appellant’s Health Impact Assessment (HIA), submitted just a few days before the proceedings began. This late submission meant that Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) had little opportunity to follow standard procedure with new evidence and were therefore unable to open it for consultation with the public. The late submission of the HIA meant that HCC were unable to...
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Public Enquiry: Day 8

By Admin Comment Closed
The eighth day of the public enquiry into proposals for a quarry north on Hertford has yielded some important changes to the enquiry schedule. Following the late submission of the Health Impact Assessment (HIA) by the appellants, The Inspector has ruled that the enquiry should be adjourned until September or October to allow the county council and Stop Bengeo Quarry to prepare a formal and detailed response to the contents of the HIA, as well as bringing in an independent health expert witness. As a result of this development, the enquiry will no longer be sitting on Monday 21st May 2018. Today's proceedings continued with the appellant's ecology witness Susan Deakin. In her Proof of Evidence, she stated that habitat losses during mineral extraction operations would be short-term and confined to land under active arable production. Any potential adverse effects on inhabiting wildlife would be substantially off-set by the restoration proposals for both schemes, which will result in significant biodiversity gain. The proposed Landscape...
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Public Enquiry: Day 7

By Admin Comment Closed
The seventh day of the public enquiry saw the welcome appearance of Mark Prisk MP, in  support of the campaign against the Bengeo quarry. However, the day started with statements from and cross-questioning of the appellants representatives Robert Sellwood (on planning) and Richard Flatman (on landscape). Mr.Sellwood commented that it was only in the last few weeks had the appellants had heard from Hertfordshire County Council that building houses would not sterilise the land. He also explained that East Herts District Council saw reprofiling as a condition of building the houses. This could only happen if the minerals were extracted first. Cross questioning focused on the issue of sterilisation. Mr Selwood admitted to Andrew Stevenson that HERT4 represents only 0.1 percent of new houses needed in Hertfordshire. Richard Flatman started by giving an explanation of the strategy for landscape. In it he addressed one or two of the concerns that had come up during the course of the inquiry like care for hedgerows. He also...
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