Objections as new quarry sites revealed in Baston, Langtoft, West Deeping and South Witham
Residents are showing gritty determination to defend their homes against new quarries.
Landowner Andrew Freeman is investigating digging sand and gravel from three sites close to Baston, and building materials company Cemex is looking at one site.
At a meeting on yesterday evening (Thursday), residents gathered to outline concerns - including pollution, noise and heavy lorries adding to traffic on the A15, which passes through the village.
Matthew Nicholson, one of three residents who became parish councillors yesterday due to the strength of their concerns, said particulates that become airborne during sand and gravel extraction can be so small they can enter deep into the lungs and bloodstream.
“I have young children and I’m worried about the health risk for them,” he said.
Whattoff Way resident Robin Jones said he was concerned surveyors have been in the field behind his house this week, working right up against his back fence.
“This sounds like a ‘not in my back yard’ objection but it’s worse than that,” he said. “It’s a ‘not right up against my back door’ objection.”
Martin Wynne from Hadrian Drive, Baston, said his two main concerns were how close extraction will be to the River Glen, which could become silted or polluted, and vehicle movements.
He pointed out that the Cemex site access would be onto the A15 where there is a 60mph limit, and that there had already been fatalities on that stretch of road.
Doug Balderson from Greatford Road spoke of ‘more than a million’ lorry movements, based on weekly estimates for the four sites that have been supplied to Lincolnshire County Council.
Church Street resident Rob Evans said one of Mr Freeman’s sites was very close to Baston Fen, a site of special scientific interest.
“You’re not even allowed to walk a dog through there, let alone extract gravel next to it, he said.
The quarrying sites nominated by Mr Freeman and Cemex are not formal planning applications, but are included in a Lincolnshire County Council document called ‘Updating of the Lincolnshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan’, which could earmark land for quarries up until the year 2040.
Public consultation on this document began on Friday last week and will end on January 6.
Parish councillor Jim Kelly said similar sites had been suggested to Lincolnshire County Council in 2014 and 2015 but were rejected on the grounds of pollution and being too near schools.
“They were scrapped for a reason then, and they cannot let them all go ahead now,” he said. “Otherwise Baston is going to finish up an island.”
Mr Evans said the only thing that has changed in the village since 2015, when the council rejected the quarries, is that local roads are now busier.
Other potential quarry locations in the consultation document, and the proposers are:
- West Deeping - land at East Field and land south of A1175 (Breedon Group)
- Langtoft - land south of Meadow Road (Hanson)
- South Witham - two sites off Mill Lane, one west of Thistleton Lane, one east of Fosse Lane
People wishing to view the consultation document can find it online at: tinyurl.com/LCCquarries
To make a comment during the consultation period email: mineralsandwaste@lincolnshire.gov.uk