Public Enquiry Opens

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A Public Enquiry in to the County Council's refusal to grant planning permission for a quarry north of Hertford opens today, Tuesday 1st May 2018. The enquiry is taking place in The Council Chamber at County Hall in Hertford and runs for Tuesday 1st to Friday 4th May, and from Wednesday 9th to Friday 11th May. The agenda has yet to be confirmed but typically the appellant & their witnesses will be heard first, then the County Council & their witnesses, then Rule 6 parties & their witnesses (Stop Bengeo Quarry and Andrew Stevenson). We do not know when the public speakers will be asked to speak - normally it is outlined by the inspector based on the availability of the speakers. At the Development Control Committee last week, the County Council highlighted conflicting information from expert speakers and statutory consultees, particularly with regard to health. Dr.David Adam also spoke on behalf of the campaign to highlight a new study by the HSE...
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Fundraising at The Bengeo Club

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Bengeo residents flooded into The Bengeo Club on Sunday 15th April in support of the campaign to stop the Bengeo quarry. The fundraising effort raised £450 with the sale of teas/coffees, a raffle and homemade cakes. Children painted rocks, designed posters, and penned poems to express their concern for their environment and to protect their local school. In particular - they mention the dust pollution, the water supply and the wildlife around the much loved Lonely Oak in the centre of the Bengeo Field. More than 250 people visited Bengeo Club for the event, including Cllr Andrew Stevenson, Cllr Peter Ruffles, Cllr Sue Dunkley, and Cllr Linda Radford. Aska Pickering, the Chairperson of Stop Bengeo Quarry campaign said: "The support of the Hertford community is truly amazing. We have been campaigning for over two years now but the support to stop the quarry just on the border of Hertford grows stronger. The event provided the campaigning residents a chance to discuss the latest...
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Latest Support from Mark Prisk MP

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Local MP for Hertford & Stortford, Mark Prisk, has again written to the County Council stating his objection top the proposed quarry north of Bengeo. In his letter to Planning Officer Felicity Hart, he writes: "I am writing to reiterate my objection to this application. Many of the underlying problems with the previous application, which the council rejected, remain with this application: the impact on air quality; traffic generation; the risks of pollution to the water supply. I understand the applicant has sought to provide additional information concerning soil contamination; a cumulative impact assessment and a Non- Technical Summary." He continues: "I support local residents’ views that these are inadequate and fail to satisfactorily answer concerns related to the original application. The desk-based soil contamination study fails to provide a full survey of surface chalk which would be the minimum required in these circumstances. The impact assessment is incomplete, lacking as it does any account of the impact on the landscape or...
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Campaign Film

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This film documents the Stop Bengeo Quarry campaign from its early days to the refusal of planning permission by the County Council. Campaign to Protect Rural England Rural Living Awards 2017 The SBQ campaign has been put forward for the CPRE Rural Living Awards 2017 - Community Award. We believe the campaign has met all the main criteria: * give added value to community life * have something innovative about them * used by all areas and ages of the community * bring the community together * vibrant * provide for continuity. We also meet some of the Environment Award criteria: * promote access to the countryside * celebrate Hertfordshire’s landscapes * enhance the countryside for all to enjoy. Further details about the award can be found here.: http://www.cpreherts.org.uk/awards/rural-living-awards/item/2408-2017-rural-living-awards-get-underway Please find below an extract from the application for the award explaining the reasons for nominating Stop Bengeo Quarry. Stop Bengeo Quarry campaign group has been very successful in energising people of all ages to fight...
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County Council Refuses Planning Permission

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The County Council's Development Control Committee have unanimously voted to refuse planning permission for the quarry north of Bengeo. Councillors lined up to voice their concerns about the application. Cllr Andrew Williams said: "I am overwhelmingly of the view that we should reject this application". Cllr Muir commented: "I came to this meeting this morning with an open mind, but listening to the speakers including Dr Lovell, I find I cannot support this application, for all the reasons we have heard". Cllr Peter Ruffles also opposed the plan: "I support the local member Andrew Stevenson, the landscape structure is the number one reason for rejecting the application. I cannot support this application.". Campaign chair Aska Winiewska-Pickering expressed delight at the decision: "I think it is safe to say that today’s outcome exceeded our expectations. We would like to thank absolutely every single person who has joined the Stop Bengeo Quarry campaign today and throughout the past year. There are so many people who supported...
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Final Rally Says ‘No’

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More than 150 people turned out on Sunday 12th March for the final rally of support for the campaign to stop plans for a gravel extraction quarry in Bengeo getting the green light. Residents from Bengeo and further afield, including many families with children at nearby Bengeo school, gathered at the Wick park and walked to the field at the heart of the proposals. On Friday, the group were delighted to hear that planning officers at Hertfordshire County Council were recommending that the proposals were turned down. Key to their concerns are air pollution caused by the dust produced during the extraction process and road congestion caused by the HGVs travelling to and from the plant each day. Aska Pickering, who chairs the campaign committee group, said: "After almost a year of campaigning and gathering support, we were delighted to hear of the planning officers' recommendations. However, the decision will be made by the Development Control Committee on 22nd March, so we wanted to give...
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