Final decision on controversial quarry plans delayed again
County councillors were due to vote on Thursday
A final decision on controversial plans to build a new quarry off a major road has been delayed again.
County councillors were due to vote on Thursday on a bid to build a quarry on land at Brockley Wood, just off the A12, near Belstead.
The plans, submitted by Brockley Wood Ventures Ltd, were deferred in early March to allow for further consultation on their latest version.
But Cllr Jenny Ceresa, the development control committee’s chairwoman, revealed today the decision had to be delayed after Babergh District Council decided to designate a new 558-hectare conservation area in Bentley, part of which was included in the quarry’s proposals.
This means the application must now be reassessed as designated conservation areas warrant extra planning considerations and mitigations from developers.
Cllr Salie Davies, Babergh’s lead for heritage, planning and infrastructure, said the decision was reached after careful consideration and consultation.
She said: “Brockley Wood is an allocated site for sand and gravel extraction in the Suffolk minerals and waste local plan and this conservation area status does not change that.
“However, we do believe that the special interest of this area needs to be a consideration in this and any future planning decisions.”
The decision has amounted to yet another delay to the plans, initially submitted in 2022.
The county council approved the proposals in March last year before they were subject to a successful legal challenge in August.
Several objectors speaking during last month’s meeting warned a second legal challenge could be launched if the quarry was backed by councillors.
Cllr David Busby, representing the area, said last month the application would ‘destroy centuries of peaceful living’.
Cllr Christopher Hudson dubbed the proposals ‘environmental vandalism’.
Neil Ward, of NWA Planning, defended the application by saying the plans had managed to ‘minimise any adverse impacts to within acceptable limits’.
The application meant to have been discussed today was recommended for approval by planning officers, subject to a list of 59 conditions.
Babergh’s decision to designate the new conservation area also means residents and businesses will need permission from the district council before making alterations such as cladding, inserting windows, installing satellite dishes and solar panels.