APPLICATION NO: CD.0165/1/X DATED 21St April 2006
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APPLICATION NO: CD.0165/1/X DATED 21st April 2006 AGENT: David Jarvis Associates Ltd 1 Tennyson Street Swindon Wiltshire SN1 5DT APPLICANT: Huntsmans Quarries Ltd The Old School Naunton Gloucestershire GL54 3AE SITE: Huntsmans Quarry Buckle Street Naunton Glos PROPOSAL: Deepening of the existing quarry floor by approximately 12 metres, to include a revision to the approved scheme of working, a revision to the approved restoration contours, and a programme for the development of a sequence of silt lagoons PARISH OF NAUNTON SITE AREA: 30.6ha GRID REFS: 412562, 225394 RECOMMENDED: That planning permission be granted for the reasons set out in this report and summarised at paragraphs 7.29 – 7.31, and subject to the conditions set out in section 8 of this report. 1. LOCATION 1.1 Huntsmans Quarry is located within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) approximately 2 kms to the north east of Naunton and 6 kms to the west of Stow on the Wold. The only entrance to the quarry is located directly off Buckle Street (3103), a class 3 highway that runs in a north-west to south-east direction and divides the two parts of the Huntsmans Quarry operations. To the west of Buckle Street lies the current extraction area, and to the east of Buckle Street lies the original quarry where the quarry plant, concrete batching plant and office building and main access are all located. A tunnel under Buckle Street links the current extraction area to the plant area. Previous quarrying operations have taken place, for example to the east of Nosehill Farm, and these areas have now been restored. Part of this restoration includes a section of a face that was left and is now classified as a geological SSSI. 1.2 The site subject to this application covers an area of approximately 30.6 ha within the current excavation area that lies on the opposite side of Buckle Street from the plant area and quarry entrance. The nearest residential properties lie approximately 400 metres to the south of the application site. Approximately 220 metres to the north-west of the application site lies the entrance to the Cotswold Farm Park, which is a popular local tourist attraction. 2. THE PROPOSAL 2.1 This proposal is for the deepening of the extant quarry by up to 12 metres in depth below the current consented levels. It is estimated that this deepening through the Fullers Earth clay band and into the Chipping Norton limestone DCJULY06 2/COMREPS 1 formation will release an estimated additional 2 million tonnes of limestone which, at current extraction rates, will give the quarry an extra 8 years life. The application includes a revised scheme of working and restoration and also a programme for the development of a sequence of silt lagoons. The application proposes that the majority of the site is restored to arable farmland with additional areas of species rich grassland and woodland planting. The planning application has been accompanied by an Environmental Statement. 2.2 The following extracts are from the application submission: “The Applicant 2.3 Huntsmans Quarries Ltd is a small family owned company which has been operational since the early 1900's. 2.4 The quarry aggregates are used in a wide range of construction projects ranging from motorways to rural footpaths; and from hospitals and schools to the smallest house extensions. 2.5 The quarry also supplies walling, block and tiling stone, stone paving and agricultural lime to the locality. 2.5 The Application Site … The site is bounded by the minor road Buckle Street which runs from the north of the site along its eastern edge. This eastern boundary of the site contains grassed bunds and previously consented mitigation screen planting; a mix of semi-mature deciduous and coniferous species. 2.6 To the north east the site is bound by a minor road. Adjacent to the road are mature hedgerows, semi-mature mitigation screen planting … and grassed soil bunds. 2.7 To the west the site is bound by a track open to public access. Grassed soil bunding is present along the length of this track within the site boundary. The bunding is interrupted approximately halfway along the western border to allow for a gated entrance into the site. Between the bunding and the track recent screen planting has been implemented. 2.8 To the south the site is bound by a low dry stone wall and agricultural, arable land. 2.9 There is no public access across the site. The northern and north eastern areas of the site are currently restored, with approximately one third of the site being operational in the middle to western area. 2.10 Background to the proposed development As part of a review of mineral extraction operations at Huntsmans Quarry, additional reserves of mineral below the permitted base of excavation have been identified. 2.11 In order to continue to supply the diverse product mix, which includes; crushed rock, walling and block stone, tiles and agricultural lime, there is a need to maintain a series of long but shallow faces through the various mineral bands. This enables the quarry to take account of both the strength and colour variations within the different rock types being quarried. Of prime regional importance is the DCJULY06 2/COMREPS 2 more massive limestone of the Eyford Member at Huntsmans Quarry, which provides the only source of Type 1 materials from the Jurassic Limestone Series in the Cotswold area. It is essential, therefore, that sufficient volumes of this horizon are continuously accessible in order to meet demand. However, this material is too grey in colour for certain more specialist products. Whilst the Taynton Limestone, which overlies the Eyford Member limestone, generally meets these colour requirements, the available reserves need to be augmented. The proposed deepening operations, to expose the Chipping Norton Limestone, will therefore provide additional sources of the pale brown/buff coloured limestone, whilst at the same time, where the more massive, fresher and stronger materials are encountered, this will also supplement supplies for the aggregate side of the business. 2.12 The proposed development will also ensure that mineral which can be extracted in an environmentally acceptable manner is not sterilised through the early restoration of an existing site. 2.13 It is therefore proposed to deepen the existing quarry by an additional 12 metres. This extension will take operations through the underlying Fullers Earth Mudstone (approximately 4 metres depth) and into an underlying band of the Chipping Norton Limestone Formation (approximately 8 metres depth). The principle of working these mineral seams has already been established. To the south of the inferred fault line, the consented scheme of working allows excavation to take place below the Fullers Earth clays. 2.14 In order to achieve the deepening operations there will be a requirement to maintain a sequence of abandonment silt lagoons within the quarry void. This will progress the consented silt lagoon arrangement (permission reference CD.0165/1/V). The final restoration profile would be adjusted accordingly and to secure a landform which can be achieved without the need to import any material to the site. 2.15 The scheme of working and restoration is shown on figures 4-7 (Plans to be displayed in Council Chambers). The design is the end result of a process of consultation and environmental assessment that began in 2005. 2.16 The current method of extraction will continue to be employed in respect of the proposals to deepen the existing quarry, supplemented by the use of quieter equipment. The mineral will be worked by a hydraulic excavator equipped with a breaker as at present. More recently a ripper has been trialled successfully in place of the breaker. This ripper is quieter than the breaker and can be used for the excavation of certain stone strata, currently it is used to excavate approximately 60% of the quarry stone and it is anticipated that this practice will continue. 2.17 Excavated limestone from the deepening extension would be loaded into dump trucks for transfer back to the existing plant site for processing in accordance with current practice. The dump trucks would continue to use the existing internal haul road and purpose built tunnel below Buckle Street. DCJULY06 2/COMREPS 3 2.18 Indicative Phase 1 Extraction In order to continue to supply the diverse product mix and work the site safely there is a need to work the quarry in a series of long but shallow rock benches through the various mineral bands. This enables the quarry to take account of both the strength and colour variations within the different rock types being quarried. 2.19 At an early stage quarry deepening would take place within the walling stone quarry area located in the eastern corner of the site. The purpose of this is to create sufficient room for a new silt lagoon which will enable the existing lagoon to be restored. Upper quarry benching in the main quarry area would extend south westwards. 2.20 Topsoil would be stripped and stored in grassed bunds along the southern margins and placed directly over previously graded restoration areas. The remaining overlying soils above the rock (overburden) and quarry waste materials (silts and unsaleable stone) would be used to progress the restoration of the western quarry faces and capped silt lagoon areas. 2.21 Indicative Phase 2 Extraction Upper level benching would progress south eastwards, thereby providing safe access to all levels of the quarry including the deepening extension. The silt lagoon system would progress within the deepening extension area.