Issue - meetings

Report by the Assistant Director for Strategic Infrastructure and Planning (PN6)

As resolved at the meeting of the Planning & Regulation Committee on 7 September 2020, the report provides an update on progress with regard to the work on the application and Environmental Statement for the review of conditions for the ROMP permission areas DD1 and DD2. The report also provides an update on the progress with planning application no. MW.0075/20 for processing plant, a conveyor and a Bailey Bridge for the removal of mineral extracted from part of the ROMP permission areas DD1 and DD2.  It is recommended that a further update report be provided to the meeting of the Planning & Regulation Committee on 19 July 2021.

It is RECOMMENDED that:

A)         The Planning & Regulation Committee’s previous conclusion from its meeting on 9 September 2019 (Minute 39/19) that mineral working on the Radley ROMP site has permanently ceased and that there is a duty to serve a Prohibition Order is not rescinded but that the service of the Prohibition Order is held in abeyance pending:

i)       the progression and determination of application no. MW.0075/20 for processing plant, a conveyor and a Bailey Bridge for the removal of mineral extracted from part of the ROMP permission areas DD1 and DD2; and

ii)     H. Tuckwell and Sons Ltd providing an update, accompanied by documentary evidence, on progress with regard to the work on the application and Environmental Statement for the review of conditions for the ROMP permission areas DD1 and DD2 to the meeting of the Planning and Regulation Committee on 19^th July 2021.

B)         Officers are instructed to investigate whether it is possible to serve a partial Prohibition Order should it be concluded that mineral working has permanently ceased over part but not all of the ROMP permission areas DD1 and DD2

Approved

Approved

The Committee considered a report (PN6) providing an update on progress with regard to the work on the application and Environmental Statement for the review of conditions for the ROMP permission areas DD1 and DD2. The report also provided an update on progress with planning application no. MW.0075/20 for a processing plant, conveyor and Bailey Bridge for the removal of mineral extracted from part of the ROMP permission areas DD1 and DD2 and also noted thata further update would be made to the Planning & Regulation Committee on 19 July 2021.

Officers presented the report.

Andrew Coker addressed the Committee both as local resident and on behalf of other families living at Thrupp and the owner of the nearby lake off Barton Lane, Steve Clarkson.

He asked the Committee to note some corrections namely that on the maps provided to the Committee the area of the proposed gravel extraction included  woodland in his ownership and Mr Clarkson’s land and lake. There was no gravel there as it that had already been removed and from their records that had been extracted in 1994.  Therefore, it wasn’t 21 years since extraction had ceased but 27.  That same date should be given for the extraction next to former lakes H and I, known locally as the Orchard Lake with gravelling ceasing in this area nearly 30 years ago.

Confusion and shifting time scales had been a characteristic of this planning blight. Whilst huge interest had been shown at times in extracting the gravel, none, apart from that in 1994, had been done and it had been a tactic to keep things ticking over whilst other sites were used.  The extraction at Sutton Wick kept being extended and then, when it looked like coming to an end, the Nyatt Field became a live issue again and residents had lived with that blight. Tuckwell plan to submit a ROMP application and EIA in spring-summer 2022 but what is there to stop that timescale slipping progressively, as every past timescale seemed to have done. He asked the Committee to hold the interested companies to a strict timetable and make them abide by it. 

He also asked that the company make a full disclosure of their plans as their piecemeal approach merely led to further confusion. Residents wished to know when extraction was planned to take place, how they intended to do that, what measures would be taken to protect them from noise and dust pollution and most importantly how long this was going to take and what would happen thereafter.

He pointed out that this year the Nyatt Field had flooded twice and higher than before with water in the field for over 4 weeks. If there had been an extraction hole, the water would still be there, needing to be pumped out, an extremely noisy operation for those of us living here.

A large area of woodland next to the River Thames had been removed since the Committee had met in September last year.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5