'Be vigilant' warning to residents celebrating rejection of quarry near Newport
Campaigners who fought to get plans for a quarry refused near Newport have been warned they should stay on their guard.
Protesters that fought against a sand quarry on land off Pave Lane in Chetwynd Aston, should stay prepared to fight again if developers decide to return to the area, protesters fighting against another quarry have said.
The warning comes from Phil Nicholls, who has been among those protesting a proposed quarry in Shipley, near Bridgnorth, for several years.
He said once one developer is turned down, others start looking how they might use the land.
His comments come as inspectors threw out plans for the Pave Lane quarry on grounds that it would have had "significant harmful effects" on the countryside.
Mr Nicholls, who lives near the proposed Shipley quarry, said: "We did this in Shipley six years ago when we were fighting Tarmac, and they had second thoughts. This second fight has been tougher.
"One quarry gets turned down, another one is ready to continue the work. Just because you win your first battle with these people, doesn't mean the quarry won't rise again.
"We've fought this six or seven years ago. We did an incredible amount of research and work – and now it's upon us again."
JPE Holdings submitted a planning application to Shropshire Council to extract a sand and mineral resource from land off the Bridgnorth Road, in Shipley.
The Shipley quarry is proposed to replace the mineral extraction operations at nearby Seisdon Quarry, which is due to cease operations at the end of 2018.
Petition
Protestors launched an online petition, as well erecting protest signs along the Bridgnorth Road, after they mobilised to launch a campaign against the quarry plans.
They said that the increase in traffic along the A454 could lead to more deaths, and said the damage to historic woodland and nature caused by the quarry would be irreversible.
Mr Nicholls said they were continuing their work opposing the plans.
He said: "There's quite a lot of people putting effort in, not just financial efforts, but time. We all work, we certainly don't need this, but it is a ticking time bomb.
"We've got to stick to what we believe in and hope we come out on the right side.
"It's about protecting things for the future. This stuff has been here for centuries - and it could all be gone within six years."
Inspectors announced that plans for the land off Pave Lane, near Newport, had been refused following a planning inquiry last year.
The plans were originally turned down by Telford & Wrekin Council, but applicants Mick George Ltd appealed.
After an planning inquiry in November, Inspector John Woolcock said the refusal was being upheld.
He found that the application did not demonstrate that the site was more acceptable than other preferred sites, such as the nearby Woodcote Wood, but said that it would have significant harmful effects on the countryside.
He said that one of the main issues was how the quarry would affect nearby residents.
