Frome Town Council have objected to the recent West Down Quarry applications (Planning Application Numbers SCC/3795/2021, SCC/3836/2021, SCC/3837/2021, SCC/3838/2021).
Cllr Steve Tanner provided the following statement:
“Frome Town Council agree with the objections made by the residents affected, and the objection put forward on behalf of Mendip District Council by the Climate Change Portfolio Holder Cllr Tom Ronan.
Somerset County Council and all tiers of local and national government have declared a Climate Emergency and recently adopted this as policy; to approve the re-opening of Westdown Quarry at Whatley, Frome fundamentally undermines this at all levels.
The cumulative affects of this proposal would:
- Impact on residential amenity will be hugely detrimental.
- Result in massive additional traffic generation having the potential to lead to highway safety issues caused by so many additional HGV’s moving through the vicinity.
- Increase noise disturbance to the residents.
- Increase dust from the quarrying and particulates from traffic pollution, detrimental to air quality and dangerous for the health of residents all resulting from reopening and use of the quarry.
In addition the considerable nature conservation issues have not yet been satisfactorily address as per the Natural England’s response. Local Historians confirm that Asham woods is around 1,000 years old, and as the application has provided insufficient mitigations for Natural England.
In a climate emergency we should be preserving habitats and not allowing the resumption of quarrying after 40 years in such close proximity to an SSSI, and a priority habitat.
Accordingly, we urge Somerset County Council to please reject this application.”
Photo Credit: Charlotte Wells
