Further delays over quarry site

THERE will be further delays to the formulation of a new plan that will determine the location of new quarry sites.

Warwickshire County Council ripped up its original document, containing four in the south of the county, earlier this year after revising down the expected demand for sand and gravel.

A new list of proposed sites was expected to be published this month ahead of a new public consultation in July.

But the looming local elections in some parts of the county means that has now been put back to June, with the six-week consultation expected to run throughout September and October.

The county council said: “The authority is listening to the concerns of local communities and carefully considering what has been presented, particularly on the sites.

“Local elections are being held on the 3rd May in Rugby Borough, and Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough, and there are a number of sites being promoted in the minerals local plan in the Rugby area.

“The authority thinks that in this situation it would be sensible to delay consideration of the next stage of the Minerals Plan until the cabinet meeting on the 14th June. We need to get this right and apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”

Nine sites were included in the original plan, which was published in October 2016. Among them were two near Wasperton and Barford, and another in Salford Priors, both sparking residents’ campaigns.

The others were in Rugby and the north of the county, while a site at Broom Court Farm in Bidford-on-Avon was initially included and then dropped.

The council has admitted that falling demand for the county’s sand and gravel means it needs to provide almost two million tonnes less than its original estimate.