Day Four of the public enquiry into the County Council’s refusal of planning permission for a quarry north of Bengeo marks the halfway point in the process.
Much of today’s morning session was taken up with public speakers, including Stop Bengeo Quarry campaigners Andrew Smith (Traffic and truck movements), Aska Pickering (strength of SBQ campaign support), David Adam (Air quality), School Govenor Libby Mountford (Impact on school), Headmistress Julie Starkiss (Impact on school), Suzanne Bray (Parent and local resident), Tanya Needham (First hand Experience of quarrying), Thalia Weston (Parent of child with cystic fibrosis), John Howson (Landscape and ecology), Robert Chandler (Cycling), Anu Palmer (Amenity and location), Mark Lynch (Landscape, Bengeo Neighbourhood plan) and Bryan Lovell (Water risk). Other speakers were Terry Mansfield , John Barnes, Alan Burgess and Kelly Martin.
There were also presentations in support of the campaign from Councillors Steve Cousins and Andrew Stevenson.
Later in the day, the appelant’s water consultant Christopher Leake of Halfren Water Ltd was cross questioned by the campaign’s barrister Katharine Elliot. He stuck firmly to the line that the quarry would be safe in terms of water supply. He claimed that because Affinity Water thought one metre of gravel left above the chalk is sufficient at Rickneys one could imply that one metre is sufficient at Ware Park. The discussion later moved on to hydrocarbons.
In the afternoon the Inspector visited the site along with county council planning officer Felicity Hart and the campaign’s John Howson, together with the appellant’s representatives Douglas Symes and Richard Flatman.
. The Inspector spent most of his time examining drawings and identifying the locations of various working areas and features of the quarry application. Due to the gorgeous there were plenty of people out on the field, including joggers, dogwalkers and cyclists. The inspector will be making a further private visit next week.
The Enquiry resumes again on Wednesday 9th May with more public speakers and witnesses appearing in support of the quarry.