Villages voice their objections to the proposed Brooksby quarry
Some 200 people attended the Public Meeting on 26 October to hear objections to the Lafarge Redland's proposed sand and gravel quarry at Brooksby. The room set aside for the enquiry (at Brooksby College) was full to bursting, with some having to stand in the corridor outside.
Residents and parish council representatives from Rearsby, East Goscote, Frisby, Rotherby and other local villages were there in force. Speakers included Matthew O'Callaghan (Melton Borough Council), John Bush (Charnwood Council) as well as parish councillors from Frisby (pictured above), Hoby & Rotherby and of course Rearsby (Bob Lewis). A representative from the Council for the Protection of Rural England also spoke against the proposed application as did several residents. Listening to the objections was a panel of five planners from Leicestershire County Council (pictured below).
The arguments against the quarry were many, but all focused on the central issue: there should be no quarry at all until the Rearsby/East Goscote bypass has been completed. One speaker raised the point that the effects of the quarry on local residents might contravene the Human Rights Act!
The application will go before Leicestershire County Council in January.
A
summer of campaigning
* In
July, 300 people took part in a mile long pavement protest; among them
were friends sympathetic to the campaign from East Goscote. We slowed
traffic down and made an impact.
*In
August, the campaign focused attention on the proposed Lafarge Redland
sand and gravel quarry at Brooksby. Thirty people gathered for a 'rush-hour'
protest opposing any extraction from the site before the bypass is built.
*Yellow and pink lamppost and signpost posters now line the road between
Rearsby and East Goscote. These are a permanent reminder to everyone that
the bypass campaign is here to stay.
Stephen Dorrell joins October Protest
Stephen Dorrell, MP for Charnwood, joined around 200 protesters in the bypass campaign's latest protest, on 13 October. No quarry at Brooksby without a bypass was the message being stressed on this march; among the protesters were residents of Frisby, Gaddesby, Thrussington and other neighbouring villages which would be affected by the quarry's activity.
In September Stephen Dorrell collected the petition (signed by 1,500 people) calling for the bypass from the Bypass Action Committee, and pledged his support for the campaign. He said the petition would strengthen the case when he lobbied ministers and county councillors.
On 2 November he attended the Rearsby Parish Council meeting to listen to parishioners views on the proposed quarry and the bypass. He has a meeting soon with Junior Transport Minister Keith Hill to put our case for a bypass.
As many of you will now by aware, the Rearsby Bypass has been placed on the new Central Leicestershire Plan. Funding now depends on central government releasing the money, a decision about which will be made in December.
The shape of things to come?
This
Lafarge Redland Readymix truck was spotted travelling along Brook Street
recently. If the company gets permission to extract sand and gravel at
Brooksby, vehicles like this will be a familiar site on the main road
every day!
What's
been happening outside Rearsby
* All
52 Charnwood Borough councillors agree that there should be no gravel
extraction at Brooksby without a bypass. Rearsby Parish Council has launched
an official objection to Lafarge Redland's planning application
* The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions has received
letters supporting the Rearsby bypass from both Melton Council and County
Hall
* Despite spending tens of thousands on the anti-skid surface at the bad
corner to the North of the village, there have already been accidents
there.
* On
Saturday 23 September about 200 protesters marched from Great Dalby to
Melton to demonstrate against the proposed new village of Kettleby Magna
(near Great Dalby).If
the scheme goes ahead, the new housing will bring a huge increase in traffic
to the area, and through Rearsby!