A number of people have been asking, “does this mean the threat of the quarry has gone forever?”.
Sadly, no. It’s possible that the applicant may submit an amended proposal intended to address the reasons for this application’s rejection. They have 12 months to do that. Alternatively they might appeal against the Council’s decision. The time limit is 6 months.
Also, for as long as the Bengeo field is part of the County Council’s “Preferred Area 2” for gravel extraction there is a risk that a new application will be made that could succeed. For example, Hanson might apply for an extension to Rickneys Quarry that includes the field. If that happened some of the grounds that led the committee to reject the application on Wednesday may not apply.
There’s more work to be done and we will keep you updated.<