10:09am Wednesday 12th September 2007
By Alex Ross
VILLAGERS from Wickwar and Charfield are set to make their final stand against plans to extend the operating hours of their local quarry.
South Gloucestershire Council's development control committee is set to decide tomorrow whether to allow Wickwar quarry owners Cemex to extend its operating times.
Cemex wants permission to operate the production of ready mix concrete and block-making between 5.30am to 10pm Monday to Friday and 5.30am to 12pm on Saturdays, and its coating plant operations 24 hours a day, seven day a week.
The quarry has already received a boost from council planning officers who have recommended to councillors the applications should be approved.
But councillors will first listen to some of the protesters in the surrounding villages who are strongly against the quarry's plans.
They claim the increased hours of production would be an unacceptable intrusion into their community life.
Yvette Arthur-Andrews said: "We as a village are standing up because we are not prepared for our homes to be overrun with dust, lorry traffic and industrial noise.
"I expect a good crowd at the meeting and we hope to highlight just how strongly we feel about the application to the committee.
"We are very surprised and disappointed by the officers' recommendation considering the sizeable opposition to the plans."
A petition with 393 signatures and 160 written submissions were sent to South Gloucestershire Council objecting to the plans.
A decision on the quarry's third planning application, to expand its working site 40 acres northwards towards Charfield, is expected to be brought before the committee at a later date.
Villagers, as well as representatives from Cemex, will be able to make their feelings known during public participation sections of the meeting, which is being held at Thornbury Council Offices at 3pm.
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