Expansion of Ellesmere quarry is backed

Ellesmere Sand and Gravel, which currently works at Wood Lane Quarry in Ellesmere, wants to extend its site by nearly 20 hectares – giving it room to extract hundreds of thousands of tonnes of sand and gravel.

The plans have been recommended for approval by planning officers ahead of a meeting of Shropshire Council's north planning committee on Tuesday next week.

In a report, which will go before the committee, case officer Graham French said: "Mineral extraction has taken place at the quarry since the 1930s.

"Former quarrying areas are now worked out and some are restored to fishing lakes and a nature reserve.

"A commercial landfill has been developed on previously extracted land adjacent to the mineral operations."

The proposals put forward by Tudor Griffiths Ltd, which runs Ellesmere Sand and Gravel, were initially much larger.

The company had hoped to expand to an area that would give it space to extract 2.1million tonnes at a rate of 250,000 tonnes over eight years. But after a number of concerns were raised, two phases were withdrawn leaving a reduction in potential material by about 30 per cent, giving five or six years of extraction.

The plans came under fire from Welshampton and Lyneal Parish Council, along with Shropshire Wildlife Trust which said it feared any expansion would have an impact on the nearby Colemere.

Another 23 local residents gave objections to the proposals, with concerns it was "one of the most beautiful unspoiled areas of north Shropshire" and that any expansion would "destroy the natural rural outlook of the land".

However Mr French said that the material from Wood Lane was in high demand and the company would be secured for a number of years.

He said: "The proposals would secure production at Wood Lane for a further six-seven years at the anticipated production rate.

"The mineral is a proven resource with an established local market and would make an important contribution towards the county's agreed proportion of sand and gravel production in the West Midlands region.

"The proposals would also facilitate comprehensive restoration achieving afteruse benefits in terms of habitat creation."

Mr French said that the company's sales from the current site had been around 300,000 tonnes per year for the last 20 years.

Although the company did see a "dip in output" during the recession, there had also been a significant increase since the market recovered, he said.

Mr French added: "The applicant states that without the Wood Lane material there would be a significant demand on importation of sand and gravel from neighbouring counties to keep the various businesses operating."

The plans have been recommended for approval ahead of next week's meeting subject to a number of planning conditions. The meeting of Shropshire Council's north planning committee will be held at Shirehall in Shrewsbury on Tuesday at 2pm.