Deadline for Gorse Lane quarry applicants to respond pushed back to next year

The applicants for a quarry and landfill site south of Denton, have been given more time to supply information to Lincolnshire County Council.

In October, LCC’s principal planning officer Marc Willis said more details must be provided by Mick George Ltd, before the council could make a decision on the application.

This included further evidence on the mineral quality of the 84.6 hectare site, and greater clarity on how the recycling aspect of the site will operate, monitoring of groundwater, impact on views and effect on wildlife at The Drift, a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Mick George Ltd were given until November 27 by LCC to provide the details required, in order to complete the required environmental statement, under regulation 22 (1) of the Town and Country Planning Regulations 2011.

However this date has now been pushed back until January next year, at the request of Mick George Ltd.

Jon Stump, finance director at Mick George Ltd, said: “In early November, Mick George Ltd wrote to Lincolnshire County Council requesting an alternative date for submission of the ‘Regulation 22’ detail.

“This was to enable a longer period of groundwater monitoring to be undertaken, especially as the prevailing weather conditions in October were generally dry. The county council have agreed to an extension of time until mid January to supply the detail requested.”

The quarry and landfill plans have faced strong opposition from local campaigners Gorse Lane Quarry Action Group (GOLAG). Responding to the news that the decision had been pushed back, GOLAG chair Gaile McMillan said: “However many time extensions they negotiate, Mick George Limited will never be able to address the fact that there is no need for the aggregate, no need for the landfill and will never be able to address the risks to the community and environment created by this proposed development.”