Essex local quarries plan
Essex County Council has recently consulted on 52 potential candidate sites across the County for new quarrying activities as part of their review of their 2014 Minerals Local Plan. 20 of those sites fall within the Witham constituency.
This part of Essex already has a high number of quarrying sites, especially along the A12 and the A120 corridors, and we all know the impact that these can have. I have been working with local residents and community groups to raise their concerns with the new sites being put forward. These concerns include the impact on the environment, countryside and agricultural land; risks to human health through dust from the sites; and increased traffic and heavy goods vehicles on our roads. Although the consultation has now closed, the details are still available online at:
https://www.essex.gov.uk/replacement-essex-minerals-local-plan-review-2025-2040
There is a summary below of the plans for the 20 sites that cover the Witham constituency.
| Proposed Site | District | Size (Hectares) | Potential Yield (Million Tonnes) |
| A6 – Bradwell Quarry | Braintree | 37.5 | 2.5 |
| A47 – Bradwell, Monk’s Farm | Braintree | 84.4 | 4 |
| A48 – Bradwell Grange Farm | Braintree | 143.15 | 12.2 |
| A50 – Colemans Farm, Appleford Farm Eastern Extension | Braintree | 24.25 | 0.93 |
| A52 – Colemans Farm, Southern Extension | Braintree | 4.13 | 0.11 |
| A54 – Whiteheads, Witham | Braintree | 10.22 | 0.4 |
| A84 – Colemans Farm, Appleford Farm North Extension | Braintree | 18.4 | 0.69 |
| A92 – Land at Pattiswick Hall Farm, Small Site | Braintree | 65.45 | 3.4 |
| A93 – Land at Pattiswick Hall Farm, Full Site | Braintree | 130.74 | 8.2 |
| A94 – Land at Highfields Farm | Braintree, Colchester, Maldon | 34.69 | 0.75 |
| D7 – Land at Pond Farm, Transhipment Site | Braintree | 15.38 | N/A – Estimated throughput is 0.4 million tonnes pa. |
| A31 – Maldon Road, Birch | Colchester | 25 | 4 |
| A61 – Heckfordbridge | Colchester | 61.16 | 5 |
| A62 – Heckfordbridge | Colchester | 94.44 | 8.2 |
| A95 – Land at Bellhouse Farm South | Colchester | 12.68 | 0.83 |
| A49 – Colemans Farm, Hill Broad Farm | Maldon | 40.74 | 2 |
| A51 – Colemans Farm, Hill Broad Farm, North Extension | Maldon | 19.77 | 0.6 |
| A58 – Little Smiths, Danbury | Maldon, Chelmsford | 3.8 | 0.31 |
| A66 – White House Farm, Woodham Walter | Maldon | 56 | 4 |
| A82 – Colemans Farm, Elm Springs Extension | Maldon | 15.42 | 1 |
Responses to the consultation will be considered by the Council and as part of the Local Plan Review process any sites deemed suitable for future quarrying will then need to be considered by an independent inspector who may examine the whole of the Local Plan. In any case, no new quarrying activities can commence without a planning application for that site being approved.
However, the fact that so many sites have come forwarded for consideration is causing widespread concern and I am continuing to raise these and make representations to the Council.
If you have any questions, concerns or comments about this process and the sites put forward that may affect you, please do let me know.
Priti meets with local residents in Copford to discuss their concerns about proposed sites in the minerals plan.
