Comment

Draft Nottinghamshire Minerals Local Plan

Representation ID: 31058

Received: 25/09/2018

Respondent: David Clitheroe

Representation Summary:

I object to MP2s because:
SA shows the proposal is one of the most damaging assessed. The proposal is in the greenbelt and will impact SSSIs, LWS and has Ancient woodland adjacent. It would also impact the rich wildlife in the area.There would be a major impact on the quality of life and visual amenity of local people, as well as the loss of peace and tranquillity in an area used extensively by a wider community. The restoration will take too long and the landscape will be left scarred and not able to recreate the character of the countryside.

Full text:

I am writing to confirm that i wish to OBJECT to Sand and Gravel provision Site MP2's Mill Hill nr Barton in Fabis'.

The Barton in Fabis site has been evaluated by the County Council's own 'Sustainability Assessment' as the most environmentally damaging site of all those proposed and the 3rd most damaging in the long term.

The proposed site is would impact on the two local sites that are designated SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) Attenborough Nature Reserve and Holme Pit, these SSSI sites will be impacted by the noise and dust, there is also a high risk that the water quality of Holme Pit would be affected by operations of the quarry.

The proposed site is would impact on five LWS's (Local Wildlife Sites) on of those sites would be lost and destroyed altogether.

There is evidence that this site and surrounding areas are rich in bird life and other species, there are 24 red and 22 amber listed bird species using the area for feeding and breeding.

Natural England, RSPB, CPRE, Ramblers Association and Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust have already objected to a planning application for this site.

The site is in the Green Belt, and Brandshill and Clifton Woods, Adjacent to the site, have been designated as Ancient Woodland which have special protection under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The Council has failed to justify any 'wholly exceptional reasons' required by the NPPF.

There would be a major impact on the quality of life and visual amenity of local people, as well as the loss of peace and tranquillity in an area used extensively by a wider community for walking, fishing, horse riding, bird watching and other leisure pursuits, including an adverse impact on grazing land and especially to the respiratory health of horses. The loss of a significant area of countryside on the edge of a large city such as Nottingham damages the recreational opportunities that are increasingly important for the health and well-being of city dwellers.

We as a family use the area for walking, cycling and running, the area is an area of outstanding beauty and it is peaceful considering is locality to the A453. We make regular visits with our grandchildren to look for varying types of birds.

The restoration plans are not to restore the land to its current state but to marshland and standing water. Even this is likely to take 10 years to establish, meaning that the area will be unusable for up to 25 years.

There is a need to reduce the level of extraction in future by making better use of mineral resources and developing alternatives. Quarrying can have a devastating impact on the countryside. Noise, dust and heavy lorry traffic are characteristics during mining operations and too often landscapes are left scarred by extraction. Even when restoration is mandatory and then undertaken, it is seldom- if ever- able to recreate the character of the countryside which was developed over centuries.