Hampshire councillors 'regretfully' approve plans for quarry to be extended

Hampshire County Council today gave the green light to proposals for an extension to the Frith End quarry in Grooms Farm Lane, near Bordon.

The extension will allow Grundon Sand and Gravel to extract an additional 100,000 tonnes of sand, but at the sacrifice of Ranks Hill.

Concerns were raised about the impact the extension would have on sand martin birds in the nearby lake, and the environmental effect of demolishing Ranks Hill.

Meanwhile developers cited an ongoing shortage of soft sand in the construction industry, and the need for silica sand in the recreational and horticultural sectors.

Conservative member for Alton Rural, Cllr Mark Kemp-Gee, said: 'I object to this application on behalf of local residents. Anybody who has visited the site will be concerned about the effect on sand martins and the demolition of Ranks Hill.

‘Removing this hill will have an unacceptable impact - Ranks Hill has been preserved over the last 30 years and deliberately excluded from the extraction area. No justification can be given for its removal.

‘I remain deeply sceptical and believe it’s time to draw a line here.’

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County council officer Tim Felstead said: ‘This expansion will rely on existing facilities, and a site visit for members took place in November last year.

‘The proposal is to extend the quarry to extract 100,000 tonnes of sand from Ranks Hill, while retaining the existing dates for restoration, which is December 31, 2024.'

Councillors on the regulatory committee weighed up the environmental impact with the community need for raw materials.

Independent member for Bishopstoke and Fair Oak, Cllr Louise Parker-Jones, said: 'I am concerned about the impact on the landscape - reducing the hill by 10m is quite significant to me.

Conservative member for Bridgemary, Cllr Stephen Philpott, said: 'I have my concerns - I don't think anyone could be deliriously happy about losing a landscape feature.

'There is a lot of mitigation and I am satisfied on balance to support the application, but it is a sad reflection of the world we live in.'

Liberal Democrat member for Fareham Portchester, Cllr Roger Price, said he would also 'regretfully' support the application, and planning permission was granted.