We have received the following comments from a Waterford Heath volunteer, expressing concern about the planned extraction of gravel at Bengeo Fields:
“The campaign to stop the proposed quarry at Bengeo has been gaining a good deal of local support, understandably.
So I am writing to endorse the campaign and to highlight some things about the neighbouring, former quarry at Waterford Heath – and they are issues which could be relevant to Bengeo.
Many local people from the villages of Waterford and Stapleford, as well as some Bengeo residents, have been involved in the restoration of Waterford Heath, for several years. From our experience it can take decades for places to recover from gravel extraction – and it has been more than a generation now for Waterford Heath, – ie, since it was formerly a quarry.
For us, countless hours of voluntary effort have been involved: lots of campaigning with the various authorities went on before the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust took on the management of what is now, thankfully, a wildlife reserve. Recently major improvements have been made around the Heath and along the river Beane.
But all this hard work over the years – and all the gains made locally for the wonderful green belt countryside around Hertford – will be damaged by this proposed application in Bengeo. Its proximity to the school and so much housing, the risk of pollution and the impact on traffic, are, of course, even bigger concerns. It would be a disaster if it went ahead, and we and the environment would suffer from its impact for many years to come.”
Marcella Randall, Waterford Heath Volunteer