Drawing by Fred Heinzel

BIRDSEDGE, West Yorkshire

Quarry Threat to Birdsedge
on the Kirklees Local Plan

Objections needed before 19th December 2016

 

WE NEED TO OBJECT on the grounds that this proposal should not be allowed to go ahead as it contravenes the National Planning Policy Framework and the Council's own Policy PLP 36.

Here's how to do it:

Online

Go to:
http://kirklees-consult.objective.co.uk/portal/pp/pdlp/pdlp_aod?pointId=s1473152161250#section-s1473152161250

  • Go to site ME1965a – Appleton Quarry and then click on make comments and you will be guided through the registration and comment process.
  • Note that you need to register before you can make a comment. Click on register. It takes you to a page which asks if you are or consultee or agent - pressing consultee takes you to a page that you fill in and register they send you details and password to. Once you have registered you will get an email from Kirklees clearing you to make comments on the site.
  • Go beck to site ME1965a and press add comments it comes up as log in or register -your email. Once registered you can make your comments.
  • The first box asks if the plan is Sound - tick NO. (For good measure I also ticked NO to Legally Compliant and Complies with the duty to Cooperate.)
  • The next box asks you to give details why it is not - the reasons why the site should be removed (see below for a selection of reasons that are applicable in this case). This is a small box but it can be expanded and you can put in all your objections.
  • The next box asks what will make the plan sound. Put in ‘The removal of site ME1965a’
  • When asked if you wish to participate at the oral part of the examination, say YES if you wish to be able to speak at the enquiry to stand up for your rights to be heard and to draw the enquiry's attention to ME1965 (If you don't say yes NOW it will be too late to change your mind and say YES later - whereas you can always decline later if necessary.) Of course if you are not a Birdsedge resident you may not wish to speak.
  • It asks you to please outline why you consider this to be necessary. This is my answer:
    I feel that you have ingored 208 objections at the consultation stage (a 55% objection rate from the local population.) In what way does this show you have listened to the objections at the public consultation stage? I wish to take part in the oral part of the examination in order to make sure my voice is heard.

By email

When I made my objections I couldn't tell if they had been accepted on the site. I got a thank you for my comments but 'my account' (top right) didn't show any comments received. So to be on the safe side I copied and pasted my form and sent it to: local.development@kirklees.gov.uk

By Post:

  • Make your comments ensuring you quote site ME1965a Appleton Quarry.
  • You must state that that the plan is unsound because of the inclusion of ME1965a (use those very words). . Feel free to use some of the objections below. Follow the form of the questions on the website if you can.
  • Send to: Local Development Plan Comments, Planning Policy Team, Civic Centre, Market Street, Huddersfield HD1 2YZ

 

Some grounds for objection:

  • The site ME1965a does not meet the requirements of the Kirklees Vision or LP Objectives 1,3,5,6,7,8,and 10

  • Site ME1965a fails to meet the requirements of the Kirklees Joint Health and Well-being Strategy

  • Site ME1965a fails to meet the requirements of the Kirklees Economic Strategy

  • Site ME1965a does not comply with the National Planning Policy Framework paragraphs 1,7,9,10,14,15,17,28,58,61,64,69,73,74,75,70,80,81,86,88,109,110,120,122,123,125,126,131,142,150,151,152,155,157,158 and 163

  • Site ME1965a does not comply with objectives and policies of the LDP – in particular policies 1, 2, 6, 7, 10, 19, 20, 21, 25, 30, 48, 51, 52, 55, 38, and 39

  • Site ME1965a does not comply with LP policy 36 “Proposal for Mineral Extraction” (see appended document)

  • Selecting this site is inconsistent with the National Planning Policy Framework and the Council's own Policy PLP 36

  • It will cause materially significant disturbance and nuisance by the generation of dust, noise and vibration by the site operations and associated transport; it will impact on people's health and quality of life.

  • Air pollution. The prevailing winds will carry dust and particulates towards the village houses and the primary school.

  • Noise pollution: Even without blasting, the cutting and removal of stone requires a constant tap-tap-tap from a machine which pecks at the stone, so this will result in not one occasional big bang but an annoying constant series of smaller, regular 'jackhammer' bangs. Appleton Quarry already has a bad reputation for working outside its designated time periods and thus causing additional disruption to neighbours.

  • Traffic: It will prejudice highway safety through the volume and nature of vehicle movements onto and from the site possibly along Birds Edge/ Windmill Lanes/Carr hill road to the A629. The TransPennine Trail runs along one edge of the site ensuring walkers, cyclists and horseriders will be in danger from quarry traffic. There are no pavements along these roads to protect pedestrians.

  • It will be materially detrimental and polluting to the local environment  and affect the watercourses of the River Dearne and Park Dike which run through the proposed site. The river Dearne supplies water to Hinchliffe's Mills in Birdsedge and Denby Dale, a local employer of 350 people. Kirklees Council and Urban Vision have produced a paper on 'Identifying Furure Mineral Extraction Sites' (October 2016). Paragraph 5:14 states that ground water sources are a primary constraint (Category One) when identifying areas of search for Mineral Extraction, and that river valleys are a Category Two constraint. According to Kirklees own paper there are two Category One constraints and one Category Two constraint on Site ME1965a with TWO Water courses and a river valley.

  • Kirklees is already over-supplied with mineral extraction sites and quarries ensuring supplies beyond the timespan/range of this plan so there is no need to quarry here. West Yorkshire currently has a 26 years reserve of mineral aggregates, ensuring supplies as far ahead as 2040. This local plan is only supposed to be effective to 2030.

  • The best Yorkshire stone - i.e. that reserved for architectural and paving use is not found on Site ME1965 except for a very small band at the north end. The rest of the site would only provide poor quality stone for crushing. This stone could be extracted from anywhere.

  • It will result in permanent loss of agricultural grazing land

  • Cumulative effect. There are already too many quarries in this part of Kirklees

  • It will not preserve the setting and character of the village within the greenbelt and cause unacceptable detriment to a valued landscape. This is a public cause for concern.

  • It will cause unacceptable detriment  to local visual and residential amenity - a quarry on this site will be clearly visible from many areas of Birdsedge and the local area, including the ancient monument of Castle Hill, Denby Dale (that's the one at High Flatts but is classed as Denby Dale by Kirklees). It will impact on the archeologically important ancient monument and protected site of Castle Hill.

 

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