Bishop Middleham Quarry, Bishop Middleham, Ferryhill, Durham
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Planning Services COMMITTEE REPORT APPLICATION DETAILS APPLICATION NOS: 1) CMA/7/102 & 2) DM/14/00170/VOC 1) Proposed western extension for the extraction of FULL APPLICATION DESCRIPTION : 5.5 million tonnes of magnesian limestone over a 14 year period with restoration to agriculture through landfilling of clay and soils over a 20 year period. 2) Variation to Conditions 1 and 7 of Planning Permission T/APP/H1345/A/96/267255 as amended by Planning Permission No’s. 7/98/58CM and 7/2003/0045CM in order to extend the date for completion of mineral extraction, revise the method of mineral extraction and revise phasing of inert landfill operations. W & M Thompson Quarries Ltd NAME OF APPLICANT : Bishop Middleham Quarry, Bishop Middleham, Ferryhill, ADDRESS : Durham Bishop Middleham and Cornforth ELECTORAL DIVISION : Chris Shields Senior Planning Officer CASE OFFICER : Tel. 03000 261 394 [email protected] DESCRIPTION OF THE SITE AND PROPOSALS The site 1. Bishop Middleham Quarry is located to the north of Bishop Middleham village on land between the A1(m) and A177 roads. It is an established minerals site with a planning history dating from 1948 (although the site existed before this) and a current permission that extends to 2015 for mineral extraction and 2021 for restoration. The site produces magnesian limestone for use as fertiliser (agricultural lime) and in construction as an aggregate. Permitted stone reserves at the site have now been largely worked out with limited material remaining. The site is being progressively restored by infilling the void with imported waste, this being the residual fraction of construction and demolition waste that cannot be recovered. The approved restoration plan would see most of the quarry returned to level and brought back into agricultural use. 2. The existing site straddles the U35.17 unclassified road with the western side of the site accessed by a private underpass. The area of the site to the east of the U35.17 has been fully worked out and is currently being backfilled. 3. There are no ecological designations within the quarry but there is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) (Bishop Middleham Quarry) to the north east of the site. There are no watercourses within close proximity to the site. A Public Right of Way (Footpath No. 3, Bishop Middleham Parish) crosses the access track to the south of the quarry. The proposals 4. Two applications have been submitted for determination. The first (site area 15.7 hectares) seeks permission for an extension to Bishop Middleham Quarry for mineral extraction with restoration through the disposal of inert waste. The second application seeks to vary 18 conditions of the existing planning permission relating to the working and restoration of the site in order to accommodate the proposed extension to the quarry. The applications need to be considered together as they are interlinked. Proposed Extension 5. A western extension to the existing Bishop Middleham is proposed that would allow for the extraction of 5.5 million tonnes (2.95 million cubic metres) of Magnesian limestone with the resultant void progressively backfilled with inert waste (this would include clay and soils) to return it to a level that can be brought back into agricultural use. 6. Extraction of the stone from the site would take 14 years at a rate of 400,000 tonnes per annum. The backfilling operation would take approximately 20 years following completion of stone extraction with the total working life of the site expected to be 35 years. Working Method 7. Site preparatory works involving advance tree and shrub planting on the site perimeter, creation of tree protection zones and creation of an access road through the existing quarry to the extension would take place following the commencement of the development. Soil stripping to facilitate the removal of the stone would take place in each of the identified working phases using an excavator and this material would be formed into screening mounds around the western and southern perimeter. Topsoil and subsoil would be stored separately and soils would only be stripped prior to entering the next phase of working. 8. The proposal would involve quarrying in three phases and working benches, as per the existing site, to a maximum depth of 92 metres Above Ordnance Datum (AOD). The upper benches of the extension area contain a soft limestone that can be effectively used as agricultural lime with the lower benches being harder and capable of being crushed and used as an aggregate. The anticipated ratio of agricultural lime to aggregate from the extension area as a whole be 60:40. 9. The extension area would be accessed from the north west corner of the existing site and worked progressively south through Phase 1. Phase 1 would be split into three (1A, 1B and 1C) corresponding with the 3 benches that would be extracted. Within Phase 1 the extension area would essentially be approached from the top down whereas subsequent phases would have the full extent of the working phase exposed. Phase 2 would progress extraction east toward the existing site boundary and finally Phase 3 would move the working south and back to the west. 10. It is anticipated that material in the top benches of the extension (the agricultural lime) would be soft enough to be extracted using a 360 excavator without the need for blasting. The harder lower bench material would be drilled and blasted as per the existing site with the fractured material crushed and screened in the existing processing area to the east. Material would be stockpiled until removed off site. 11. The phasing has been designed in such a way so as to allow the site to be worked in a logical way, continuing on from the existing site at a point where access to the extension would be direct. Working hours 12. The existing site operates from 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday and from 7am to 12pm on Saturdays with no working on Sundays, Bank or Public holidays. These operating hours are proposed for the extension to the site and would continue to apply to the existing quarry. Traffic and access 13. Vehicular access to the existing quarry is taken from the C46 road from the A177 to Ferryhill and this would continue to be used for the extension to the site. The site is currently is unrestricted through condition in terms of the number of daily vehicle movements. The total daily number of heavy goods vehicle movements is normally up to 120 vehicles in and out. It is not expected that this would change as a result of the extension or as a result of the proposed variation application. Vehicles depositing waste material at the site for restoration are used, where possible, to export stone products in order to keep vehicle movements to a minimum. Restoration 14. The landform would be formed by the phased infilling of the resultant void with 2.95 million cubic metres of clay and soils. This would take place progressively following extraction of the stone from each phase for a period of 35 years. 15. The approved restoration strategy for the existing quarry is for a mixture of conservation and amenity use (to the east of the U35.17 road) and agriculture (to the west of the U35.17 road). A significant portion of the restoration works have been carried out to date on both sides of the road with the area to the south of the site fully restored with the exception of the access road and a storage building and this includes a large area that has been returned to magnesian limestone grassland. It is proposed to retain the compound area in the eastern side of the existing quarry for the operational life of the site as a whole and therefore this would be the last area to be restored. 16. The proposed restoration masterplan for the site as a whole, including the existing quarry and proposed extension, is for all of the land to the west of the U35.17 road to be infilled to level with the soils replaced and returned to arable agricultural land. The area to the east would have a low restoration employed with the minimum amount of infilling to batter against the exposed faces to reduce the vertical height to safe level. This would create a valley feature that would be returned to magnesian limestone grassland with hedgerow planting and water features. 17. The phased restoration of the site would continue in the existing working area to the west of the U35.17 and the existing phasing plan (currently in Phase 4 of 6 for landfilling). The proposed variation, discussed later in this report, seeks to vary the landfill phasing to allow continued access to the proposed extension throughout the working life of the site. The extension area would be progressively restored from north to south with the final void area being in the south east corner. 18. The site would be subject to the statutory 5 year aftercare requirement. The aftercare period would commence following the final replacement of topsoil. The aftercare programme would include monthly monitoring for erosion and stability, unauthorised activity and annual monitoring for invasive weed and, if necessary, their treatment. Economic Benefit 19. Bishop Middleham Quarry has been operated by the applicant (W & M Thomspsons (Quarries) Ltd) since they acquired the site in 1975. The quarry employees 30 people directly employed, 65% of which live within 10km of the site in the settlements of Bishop Middleham itself, Coxhoe, Cornforth, Ferryhill, Trimdon Grange and Trimdon Colliery. The applicant has also stated that there are a significant number of people indirectly employed by the quarry such as HGV drivers, mechanics and explosives experts.