Sand quarry extension is slammed

RESIDENTS are furious over a decision to extend a sand quarry close to their homes.
Encroaching: The quarry in the background is coming closer to homesEncroaching: The quarry in the background is coming closer to homes
Encroaching: The quarry in the background is coming closer to homes

Lancashire County Council gave the go ahead for the application at Sandons Farm, Sandy Lane, Adlington, near Chorley, which has been operating since 2008.

The extraction area will now come within 50 metres of nearby homes.

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County councillor Kim Snape, who represents the area, said: “I am very dismayed that this planning application was passed. This would bring the site operations within fifty metres of the back of the properties and a big five metre bund would be built at the back of the properties within twenty five metres of the back gardens of those properties. The original application was refused by LCC on the basis of there not being an adequate buffer zone between the properties and the site at one hundred metres distance so now they’ve gone and passed it at fifty metres. How does that work?”

The application sought permission to extend the area of phased extraction of sand, gravel and clay, taking out tens of thousands of tonnes of material followed by infilling with inert waste to restore the land to agriculture, woodland and nature conservation.

Councillor Snape said: “This outcome is very concerning to me, my colleagues who represent the area on Chorley Council, our MP Lindsay Hoyle and the residents who reside in this location. Furthermore there are a number of enforcement concerns that appear to be not being tackled and it seems Chorley Borough Council were not consulted either. All in all this was a very disappointing outcome and leaves a lot of questions unanswered.”

Lancashire County Council said: “This application was considered by the county council’s development control committee and approved following a site visit and consultation. Those consulted included Chorley Council.”