Quarrying in Wiltshire - where next? / Bromham resists. (South West Wiltshire Liberal Democrats)

South West Wiltshire Liberal Democrats <info@swwiltshirelibdems.org.uk>

Quarrying in Wiltshire - where next? / Bromham resists.

November 16, 2010 8:41 AM

sand quarry The consultation period into Wiltshire's Minerals Plan closed on October 31st, after being extended following criticism of the inadequate way the council was running it.

Wiltshire Council claims the current stock of sand and gravel for road building and construction will only last for another six years, so some of the sites in the draft plan will be developed to satisfy demand from 2016.

Bromham residents have started a campaign against the proposal to turn their village into a sand quarry and have held a meeting to co-ordinate protests. See

http://www.bromham.org.uk/post/2010/post/2010/09/07/Bromham-at-Risk.aspx

The minerals plan is at an early stage of production and proposes potential site options for minerals extraction. At this stage none of the sites listed have any firm planning status - i.e. they are not the councils' preferred sites, but areas of land that have been promoted for consideration by landowners and the minerals industry. This means that a determined and organised campaign could be successful in removing a proposed site such as Bromham from the list.

The potential sites fall within the electoral divisions of:

• Alderbury and Whiteparish;

• Winterslow;

• Minety;

• Cricklade and Latton;

• Bromham, Rowde and Potterne;

• Melksham Without North;

• Calne Rural;

• Calne South and Cherhill;

• Melksham Without South;

• Corsham Without and Box Hill;

• Chippenham, Lowden and Rowden;

• Kington.

The consultation report identified key issues and constraints for development of each of the sites and represented the first opportunity for communities and organisations to give their views on the suitability of the sites.

Following the consultation WC will now decide which sites should be carried forward into the formal plan and which should be dropped. A formal draft of the Aggregate Minerals Site Allocations DPD, presenting the sites selected to be carried forward, is due for publication and consultation in Spring 2011.

Further information is available from the Minerals and Waste Policy team on 01225 713429, or mineralsandwastepolicy@wiltshire.gov.uk .