P/2016/0455 Dolyhir and Strinds Quarry, Dolyhir, Old Radnor
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Planning, Taxi Licensing and Rights of Way Committee Report Application No: P/2016/0455 Grid Ref: 324385 258094 Community Old Radnor Valid Date: Officer: Council: 25/4/2016 Thomas Boothroyd Applicant: Tarmac Trading LTD Location: Dolyhir and Strinds Quarry, Dolyhir, Old Radnor, Presteigne, LD82RW Proposal: Proposed northern extension to Dolyhir Quarry: construction of screening landform to the north and west of Dolyhir Quarry; related surface water management ponds and drainage infrastructure; construction of new agricultural access to the public highway and new perimeter agricultural access track; continued use of existing processing and secondary treatment plant at Dolyhir/Strinds Quarry; relocation of washing plant from Dolyhir Quarry to Strinds Quarry during phase 5 of development scheme; diversion of services; continued development of Strinds Quarry in accordance with the current working scheme; implementation of comprehensive restoration strategy; and consolidating of the overall Dolyhir and Strinds Quarry extension area and screening landform into one overall planning unit. Application Type: Full Planning Permission The reason for Committee determination The application is accompanied by an Environmental Statement (ES). Site Location and Description: The existing Dolyhir/Strinds Quarry unit is located in open countryside in the hamlet of Dolyhir, Dolyhir Quarry is located north of the C-class road (C-1341) which bisects the two quarry units, Strinds Quarry being located to the south of the C-class road. Gore quarry, also under the ownership of Tarmac, is located approximately 550 metres to the north-east of Dolyhir Quarry. The closest villages to the site are Burlingjob (approximately 580 metres to the east of the site) and Old Radnor, approximately 550 metres to the north-east of the site. Kington and New Radnor lie approximately 4.5 Kilometres to the east and 3.5 kilometres to the North West respectively. Access to the site from the A44 (which runs from Aberystwyth in the west to Oxford in the east) is along the B4594 approximately 1.6 km’s from the junction with the A44, past Burlingjob to the junction with the C-1341. The site offices are located to the south of the C-class road along with the majority of the processing equipment and the weighbridge, a conveyor spans the road from Dolyhir to Strinds transporting material to be processed at the Strinds site. The surrounding area is mostly agricultural in nature and there are agricultural fields surrounding the site. Immediately surrounding the site the land is mostly gently sloping at an elevation of approximately 205 metre A.O.D. To the north east the land slopes more steeply up to Old Radnor Hill (Gore Quarry is located on this hill) at a height of approximately 300 metres A.O.D. Further to the east (approx 1.7 km’s from the site) Stanner Rocks National Nature Reserve rises to 333 metres A.O.D., this hill is heavily wooded, mostly comprising of coniferous woodland but also some deciduous trees. To the south-east there is further hilly ground, including Hanter Hill (414 metres A.O.D.) and the Hergest Ridge, made up of a number of peaks, along which the Offas Dyke Path runs roughly east-west. To the south there are further hill areas with a patchwork of agricultural field and numerous woods and copses, comprised of both coniferous and deciduous trees. To the south west of the site there is further high ground, including Colva Hill (approx 510 metres A.O.D) and Caety Traylow (approx 532 Metres A.O.D) 5.3 kilometres and 5 kilometres respectively from the site. Burl Hill, Castle Hill and Highgate Hill form another area of high ground approximately 5 kilometres to the west of the site. These hill areas create a bowl like effect around the eastern, southern and western boundaries of the site. Directly to the north of the site the land is mostly flatter and made up of larger, more uniform agricultural fields. In this respect the landscape surrounding the site is divided with the hillier more rugged terrain to the east, south and west, with a more gentle, less undulating terrain to the north of the site. The area is traversed by an extensive public rights of way system, this includes the Offas Dyke path along the Hergest Ridge, to the south of the site. There are numerous PROW surrounding the existing quarry and the foot print of the proposed extension site. The site is effectively encircled by PROW. The proposals involve the temporary diversion of one of these PROW but the other PROW’s should remain unaffected. There is also a disused railway to the north-west of the site leading from the quarry entrance to the village of Harpton. The area has an abundance of ecological and historical/cultural designations and there are various SAC/SSSI and listed buildings in the vicinity of the site. This includes the quarries of Dolyhir and Strinds themselves which are designated SSSI’s for geological reasons, Dolyhir meadow sandwiched in between the two sites and adjacent to the site offices is also a designated SSSI, Stanner Rocks SSSI (and partly National Nature Reserve) is located 1.7 kilometres to the east of the site. Further afield there are the Burfa Boglands SSSI, approx 4.9 kilometres to the north east and Glascwm and Gladestry Hills SSSI approximately 4.6 kilometres to the south west of the existing quarries. There are numerous listed buildings and scheduled ancient monuments in the vicinity (for a more extensive list see the reply below from the Councils own listed building Officer) this includes numerous listed buildings located in nearby Old Radnor, including the grade I listed St Stephens Church, approximately 400 metres north-east of the proposed extension. Within Old Radnor there is also the Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM) of Old Radnor Castle which lies in close proximity to the listed church. Further afield lies Harpton Court with its gardens and stable, this is Grade II listed and lies approximately 1.4 kilometers north-west of the site. There are further SAM’s to the north of the site, including Castle Nimble (approx 550 metres to the north-north-east). To the north east there are various SAM’s in the Roman Camps ‘complex’ near Walton, approximately 1 kilometres distant, the Hindwell Palisaded Enclosure (a SAM) lies approximately 1.7 kilometres north of the proposed extension site. The overall site area of the quarry complex (to include Strinds and Dolyhir Quarries) would result in an increase in overall area of 42.4 hectares, from 81.6 hectares to 124 hectares – this would include the proposed extension of the extraction area, soils storage areas and the proposed landscaping bund. The extension of the extraction area would take place in a northerly direction and would be extending into an area characterised by gently sloping agricultural fields and some hedgerow/tree boundaries. The closest property would be Yatt Farm would be approximately 100 metres from the eastern boundary of the site. From the eastern boundary of the site the properties that border the road approaching Old Radnor from the south are approximately 280 metres to the east. The centre of Old Radnor Village and the listed St Stephens Church would be approximately 350 metres north-east from the northern boundary of the site, the property, Trecoed, would be approximately 100 metres from the northern boundary of the site, a sewage works to the north being 230 metres distant. Directly to the north of the proposed extension there are no residential properties in close proximity, other than Trecoed, as mentioned above. To the west of the proposed site boundaries, there are few properties in close proximity, Siluria Farm being 740 metres to the west of the western boundary, the buildings in Harpton would be approximately 710 metres to the north-west of the western boundary. To the south-west of the proposed extension site boundary the Dolyhir Cottages are within close proximity to the site – however, much of the operations in this area of the quarry are already taking place – under this proposal the area close to these cottages will be used as top soils storage, and works on the existing landscaping bund will continue. Directly south of the proposed extension is the existing quarry at Dolyhir and Strinds, along with the various items of plant and site offices. There are also properties in close proximity to the south west of the site, however, again, operations are already happening in this area and operations will not be extended in this area of the quarry. Consultee Response Community Council (old Radnor) – Planning Application P/2016/0455 Proposed Extension to Dolyhir Quarry The meeting of Old Radnor Community Council held on 26th July agreed the following response. The Community Council wishes to reject Tarmac’s proposals in their current form. Significant concern has been expressed to the Community Council regarding the destruction of Stones Farm in the later phase of quarrying and the adverse impact of the proposed quarry boundary on the associated stone barns, contrary to UDP SP 3. Stones is the oldest farm building in the Walton basin and of significant historical and aesthetic importance in the local landscape. The Community Council wish the proposed boundary of working to be altered to ensure that the farmhouse and associated stone barns are preserved for future generations. A deviation of the proposed Northern face boundary by some 100 yards could achieve this. The Community Council has applied to request that Cadw consider listing Stones Farmhouse and associated stone barns; although the buildings may or may not meet national criteria, the preservation of Stones is of extreme importance to local residents.