Objectors to quarry off the A12, near Besltead threaten second legal challenge as Suffolk County Council decision pushed back

Objectors to a quarry have threatened a second legal challenge as a decision was pushed back.

Members of the county council's development and regulation committee discussed plans to build a quarry on land at Brockley Wood, just off the A12, near Belstead, on Tuesday.

The bid was submitted by Brockley Wood Ventures Ltd in 2022, approved by the authority in March last year, but subject to a successful legal challenge in August.

The Royal Court of Justice quashed the planning permission after Suffolk County Council admitted it had failed to take relevant development plan policy into account.

But several objectors who spoke during yesterday's meeting threatened a further legal challenge could be on the cards if the application was approved once more.

They raised similar concerns as they had before, as the application remained the same, including the impact on traffic and the landscape.

Cllr David Busby, representing the area, said: "An application such as this will destroy centuries of peaceful living, if you wouldn't vote for it in your village, then please don't inflict it on ours.

"A couple of signs will not prevent the hundreds of HGVs from using the quiet lanes nor the narrow street through the village and we all know what comes out on top when lorries meet children, pedestrians, cyclists and horses."

Cristopher Hudson, county councillor for the division, likened the proposals to 'environmental vandalism'.

Added on to these were criticisms about the council not providing an extra round of consultation to consider late papers made available before the meeting.

Officers explained the council was under no obligation to do so in this case.

Tom Hill, the chairman of the Stour and Orwell Society, said: "This is simply not fair, consultees must be allowed a fair opportunity to consider and comment on new material supporting the application especially in this case."

Cllr Adrian Ward, of Copdock and Washbrook Parish Council, said residents were being 'shut out of the process' and called the lack of extra consultation 'reprehensible and an affront to local democracy'.

Defending the application, Neil Ward, of NWA Planning, said the plans had managed to 'minimise any adverse impacts to within acceptable limits'.

He said: "The objectors naturally are objecting on a basis which suits their own interests and we don't disagree with that but the planning process has to consider all the issues in the round.

"Taking a balanced view of all the issues, including visibility from the surrounding landscape, we consider this as the best location."

Other locations, Mr Ward added, would not work operationally and be even more visually intrusive.

On traffic, updated figures showed a predicted 230 two-way daily extra movements, with the company proposing to contribute £20,000 to deliver traffic measures, including HGV weight restrictions in Bentley Hall Road and Church Road.

On top of this, avoiding certain routes would be contractually-required and appropriate action could be taken if this was breached.

Despite the officer's recommendation for approval, councillors concluded more consultation was warranted and decided to push the decision back with nine votes for and two against.

This means the application will go before councillors again during their April 24 meeting.