RESIDENTS near South Chard have started a petition after plans were submitted to expand a quarry.
Aggregate Industries UK operates Chard Junction Quarry, located south of the former Chard Junction railway station near the village of Tatworth.
The company has applied to extend the quarry to allow an extra 830,000 tonnes of sand and gravel to be extracted over a seven-year period.
Residents who live near the site, have said the quarry expansion will have a widespread impact on noise and pollution in the area; will have a severe impact on local dwellings; increase the amount of transportation and traffic; cause environmental damage and more.
They say the vast majority of HGV journeys will be through Perry Street at Dykes Hill in Chard, and the existing number of HGV movements at the moment are already causing problems.
They are also concerned about the impact the site will have on people who live nearby.
One resident, Amanda Dunston, who lives on the Somerset side of the quarry, said the noise and environmental damage would be 'unbearable' for her family.
"The constant noise, dust and diesel emissions would cause every one of my family to suffer unbearable stress mentally and physically," she said.
"We have as a family enjoyed this property as it's a quiet location, full of wildlife, surrounded by the AONB.
"We walk this area constantly and know all the footpaths, hedgerows and the amount of wildlife that resides here too.
"We see deer, squirrels, badgers, lots of birds of all types including rare ones that the birdwatchers have seen increase over the last few years. Field voles, mink, otters, just down at Westford Mill, dormice, field mice, crayfish, newts, bats and many more creatures besides - the list is very long.
"If this destruction on such a vast scale were to happen this would ruin this habitat for forever, as the very pure soil that we have here would be lost, therefore having a lasting impact on the animal kingdom that resides in the hedgerows."
The original application to expand the quarry was refused in September 2021. But since then, Aggregate Industries have made the following changes:
- Reduced operating and working hours
- Reduction in proposed lorry movements
- Amendments to the perimeter bunding with reshaping to the more visible bunds along the northern and eastern boundaries
- Technical changes to vehicles to reduce impact from hauling the mineral to the processing plant
The new application states: "Chard Junction Quarry is the only sand and gravel quarry on the west side of Dorset and is located right on the border with Somerset and in close proximity to Devon.
"It therefore plays a very significant role in supplying sand and gravel into both these counties.
"The latest AM2019 survey data that is now available confirms this significance with over 90% of the quarry’s production going into Somerset and Devon."
A spokesperson for Aggregate Industries UK added: "Chard Junction Quarry has been part of the local economy for many years, supplying minerals and providing jobs. The proposed extension allows Aggregate Industries to safeguard those benefits to the local area into the future.
"We pride ourselves on being a conscientious neighbour, and that is why we have committed to support the local community and wider AONB, including management of the nature reserve and improvement to local footpath infrastructure. Our operations meet or exceed - and will continue to meet or exceed - our statutory obligations."
The application was submitted to both Somerset County Council (SCC) and Dorset County Council, (DCC) but now SCC has decided the final decision can be made by DCC since only a small part of the quarry falls on the Somerset side of the border.
READ MORE: Chard Junction quarry expansion plan decision passed to Dorset Council
Of the existing site of Westford Park Farm, only a small part of the silt lagoons at the northern tip lie within Somerset’s borders, with the remainder lying within the Dorset area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB).
The planning committee meeting to decide the outcome of the application is planned for Friday, March 18.
To view the application visit the Dorset Council website with reference P/FUL/2022/00109.
To sign the petition, visit change.org/p/dorset-council-stop-the-new-quarry-in-dorset-aonb.
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