I thought Runnymede residents may be interested in hearing some background information about a public exhibition Hanson Aggregates will be staging at the Literary Institute (51 High Street, Egham) on Thursday, July 17 from 2pm to 8:30pm regarding plans for sand and gravel extraction on land at Milton Park, Egham.
In July 2003, the County Council published a paper updating its Minerals Plan which first devised in January 1993 and placed the Milton Park as a Category 1 site meaning “that there was a presumption in favour of proposals for mineral working on the site”.
Following a Strategic Environmental Assessment of 107 Potential Mineral Working Zones (PMZ’s) for sand and gravel extraction across Surrey the following sites within Runnymede were identified by the County Council as “preferred sites” for mineral extraction in respect of obtaining concreting aggregate:
► Addlestone Quarry Extension, Addlestone
► Hamm Court Farm, Chertsey
► Milton Park Farm, Egham
► Whitehall Farm, Egham
► Land North of Thorpe, Thorpe
With regards to the Milton Park Farm site the Planning Committee resolved the following comments in June 2006:
“Milton Park Farm, Egham is a large site of some 64 ha. The site was not put forward for release in the 1985 Minerals Plan due to highway concerns. Since that time traffic had increased considerably and the inability of the highway infrastructure to cope with additional heavy vehicle traffic might mean that release of this and the adjoining site at Whitehall Farm would be contrary to policy MD4.
“Traffic associated with any gravel extraction at the site would impact on residential properties and take traffic to the centre of Chertsey and again it was suggested that an area-wide traffic study needed to take into account the capacity of all the roads leading to the strategic highway network and the impact of traffic on residential amenity. Whilst there would be capacity for bunding and screening to reduce the impact on residential property, it should be clearly demonstrated how this could be satisfactorily achieved.
“The area was within a major aquifer and groundwater protection zone for public water supply at Chertsey. A hydrological assessment would be required to support any mineral workings and identify any potential for pollution. There was particular concern that if de-watering had to take place on a 24-hour basis, this would be an unacceptable source of noise pollution. A hydrological survey and detailed scheme of progressive restoration were required before any planning application could be granted.
“Furthermore this area was one of the few large areas of unspoilt landscape in north-west Surrey, and although it had potentially been available for mineral extraction since the 1993 Minerals Plan, there were a range of factors needed to be given detailed consideration based on up-to-date data. This would include impact on new residential development in the area including Nightingale Shott and Bosher Gardens and impact on Schools and Great Fosters Hotel, a Grade I listed building.
“The Whitehall Farm site adjoined the Milton Park Farm site and it had many of the same characteristics as Milton Park Farm, and therefore the previous comments would apply. Members raised concerns about the cumulative impact of traffic on the local road network and concluded that the land should not be worked simultaneously with Milton Park Farm. It was suggested that if these sites were released, preferred restoration should be detailed within the Plan”.
I look forward to critically scrutinising the proposals laid down by Hanson Aggregates on July 17th.
