The following factors should be taken in to account and sites judged on their merits NOT just on the basis of the environmental impact of road transport:
- Landscape and visual impact including impact on the Green Belt
- Impact on the historical environment
- Noise and air quality impact on vulnerable communities, particularly in areas which impact the most people e.g. near to large settlements
- Loss of agricultural land
- Flood risk and hydrology impact
- Ecological impact
- The recreation ad amenity value of the area given the proximity of centres of population.

With respect to sites in the Green Belt NPPF para 88 states that “When considering any planning application, local planning authorities should ensure that substantial weight is given to any harm to the Green Belt” and that “very special circumstances” need to be demonstrated if the harm is to be outweighed by other considerations. The distance which aggregates have to travel by road cannot by itself be considered to outweigh the harm caused by quarry sites in the Green Belt.