44 daily lorry movements through village if quarry expansion plans get go-ahead

The revised scheme being put forward for Gonsal Quarry in Condover, near Shrewsbury, would see mineral extraction continue at the site for a further six years – much to the dismay of villagers who say their community is being blighted by lorry traffic.

Under the new plans, 110,000 tonnes of sand and gravel would be extracted each year resulting in up to 44 HGV movements through the village per day.

It represents a reduction on the 150,000 tonnes per year that was proposed under an earlier application, which was refused by Shropshire Council’s southern planning committee at a meeting in March.

The committee will meet to decide the new application next week, and planning officers say permission should be granted.

A report to the committee says Salop Sand and Gravel, which has operated the quarry since the 1950s, has also lodged an appeal against the earlier refusal but has assured planners this will be withdrawn if the revised plans are approved.

A separate application for a satellite depot at Norton Farm, which was also refused in March, is no longer being progressed with.

The report, by case officer Grahame French, says: “The proposals involve phased extraction of sand and gravel at a rate of 110,000 tonnes per annum over a period of six years, a reduction in activity previously accommodated on the local road network, together with progressive restoration to agriculture and nature conservation uses.

“The existing permitted quarry access and routing arrangements to the north through Condover would remain the same.”

Condover Parish Council and 56 members of the public have objected to the application.

They say permission should be refused as the council’s development plan stipulates that any further expansion of the quarry must include a new access directly onto the A49, paid for by the owners, to avoid lorries having to travel through the village to get to and from the site.

However the company argues the proposed southern extension would not yield enough material to fund the new access, which is estimated to cost more than £2 million and would include bridges over the Cound Brook and Shrewsbury-Hereford rail line.

A much larger area to the north of the current quarry is also allocated for mineral extraction in the development plan, which the report says “could potentially sustain the significant cost of the new access”.

This is backed up by highways officers, who have concluded that, “whilst the development guideline requirement for delivery of a new access linking to the A49 can be supported for the northern allocation, the justification for this is questionable with respect to the southern allocation”.

The report also says Highways England objects to the principle of new single-purpose accesses being created onto trunk roads, which “calls into question the deliverability of the proposed new access”.

Mr French’s report concludes: “Highway officers have not objected and have advised that refusal on highway capacity grounds could not be substantiated.

“The applicant has put forward a number of mitigation measures including up-front payment of a highway maintenance sum and a commitment not to despatch vehicles from the quarry during peak school drop-off and pick-up times.

“Whilst the concerns of the parish council and local residents are noted it is considered that the applicant has put forward appropriate mitigation measures for these temporary mineral working proposals and that such measures have the potential to deliver some mitigation for other non-quarry HGVs which also use the route through Condover, which might not otherwise be possible.

“If the application is refused contrary to officer advice and the current appeal succeeds, then the increased output rate of 150,000 tonnes per annum would apply and the maintenance funding could be withdrawn by the planning inspector.”

The meeting will be held at 2pm next Tuesday, at Shirehall.

If permission is refused again, an appeal hearing over the original application is expected to be held in December.