Planned new quarry would bring 'horrendous traffic problem' to Shropshire
A new quarry which could be built near a Shropshire town would "massively increase" the amount of vehicles using roads in the area, it has been claimed.
Members of the public came to voice their opposition to plans that would see a quarry built near Newport.
Councillors warned that if the plans for the new sand and gravel quarry off Pave Lane in Chetwynd Aston are accepted, that it would massively increase the amount of vehicles coming in and out of the area, and could destroy the local landscape.
The plans have been submitted by Mick George Ltd. Local residents were given the chance to register their objections to the plans at an event at the Wheatsheaf Pub, Chetwynd Aston.
Andrew Eade, borough councillor for Church Aston and Lilleshall, said: "The potential impact of this on the immediate locality and the wider locality will be quite severe – noise, dust, operating times. Those will be 7am until 6pm, effectively six days a week.
"We're hopeful of persuading Telford & Wrekin that this proposal should be turned down, especially on highways terms. The access proposed is an absolutely non-starter. It's a very dangerous junction between Pave Lane and the A41. It's well known as a local blackspot.
"The other issues around this are one of supply and need. There's well in excess of a 20-year supply of sand and gravel at the present time, so we simply don't need this quarry brought online at the minute. I'm absolutely opposed to this. We don't need it.
Parish Councillor Maurice Jones said: "There are trees along the edge of the site so hopefully we won't see too much activity, but we'll still get the dust and the noise.
"The other consideration is what will be a horrendous traffic problem in our view. You're looking at a site entrance which is probably 30 or 40 yards down a road off the A41, so you've got more than 200 vehicles a day coming into and out of the site. It's going to be a terrible situation for local traffic."
Les MacLurg, 68, who lives locally, said: "I'm definitely against it, just because of the disruption to the area."
In the past, representatives of Mick George have said it is hoped work can be completed with minimal impact on the countryside. It also plans to return the land for agricultural use afterwards.
