Blackrod and Horwich Environmental Action Group

Vernon Kay is encouraging people, via Twitter, to join the RAGE protest outside Montcliffe Quarry, on Thursday 24 November 2011.

One of the main concerns of the objectors will be the record number of HGVs which will be put on the roads around Horwich – with nothing stopping every single one going through the town centre of Horwich.

Other concerns include the fact that plans exist to turn the quarry into a one million tonne per year recycling centre.

The application is part of a large number of applications, at three contiguous sites, in rapid succession. So far four applications for the quarries have been considered -

• One went to appeal – but was withdrawn by Armstrongs after the planning inspector asked for additional information.
• Two have been approved, but subsequently quashed in the Judicial Review Process
• One is currently in the Judicial Review Process and will be considered 14, and 15 December 2011.

The extension for Montcliffe will be considered Thursday 24 November, at 1pm, atBolton Town Hall

Thanks Vernon

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/9382319.Vernon_spreads_word_on_protest_over_quarry/

Donations are still urgently required to fund the current Judicial Review. Please donate here

A busy week, as the new application to extend the life of Montcliffe Quarry was considered by Horwich Town Council, who voted to recommend refusal of the application – which is currently operating without active planning permission.

The document from the GMGU regarding the applicatioon’s  was reportedly only posted on Bolton’s website on Wednesday and has been subsequently unavailable for viewing due to an error in the council website.

We have been informed thatt  the updates on the RAGE website have been simultaneously  hampered by a massive cyber attack, originating from ten servers in Germany, and resulting in 45,000 hits in a relatively short space of time. Investigations are ongoing.

Last week also saw the courts consider the protective costs order, for the current Judicial review. The protective costs order limited the amount either side could claim against the other, depending on who won the case. The terms have been changed to be fairer and allow the case to continue. The date of the judicial review has also been delayed until 14-16 December 2011

RAGE are embarking on a massive fund raising campaign .

^{You can contribute via Paypal at:} 

Why all the fuss – there have been quarries in Horwich for over a century.

Here something to consider. When permission was granted in 1950 for extraction in 18 acres of Pilkington Quarry – it was estimated that it would take three hundred years to quarry.

Advances in technology means that most of this stone, was in fact extracted in a matter of a few years, in recent history. There is now an application to extend the life of Montcliffe and a  recent permission for a third quarry. These are going to be extracted at a faster rate than previously. The number of HGV is likely to be considerably more than has previously affected the area – and nobody has considered what the affects will be – or how the affects can be mitigated.

Added to that a long term plan to remove further footpaths and introduce a million tonne a year recycling centre, the concern is more than a quarry – it is the cumulative impact of three quaries

“It’s a bit like MPs’ expenses. The people in power knew things weren’t right. But they didn’t do enough quickly enough.” David Cameron 08/07/11

Democracy in action ?

Armstrong’s have submitted a new planning application, 86368/11 , effectively to extend the extraction at Montcliffe Quarry until 2020, with a further two years for restoration.

The officers report for the previous application, in 2005,  makes interesting reading : OFFICERS REPORT (2006)   It was passed by committee, the officer commenting ,

” The Applicant has given assurances that the Council will not be approached with further delays and it is recommended that the proposed extension of time be approved on this basis.”

“The Applicant has stated that there is currently 950,000 tonnes of un-worked minerals in the quarry.

 A concern expressed by Horwich Town Council and local residents is that a further extension of time may be required by the Applicant in 2011 and this would result in continued delay to the restoration of the quarry. The Applicant has responded to confirm that the reserve left in the quarry has been analysed relative to the anticipated level of sales from the site and is confident that the additional time period requested will be satisfactory.”

Some five years of extraction later, and now there is approximately 1.4 million tonnes !!

Traffic remains a major concern, the quarries have been largely dormant the last few years. 240 movements a day were permitted by the Pilkington Quarry extension – currently in the Judicial Review process, which was approved on the basis that Montcliffe Quarry was ceasing extraction. (It is understood  the previous operators considered  extraction was no longer commercially viable.) This application requests a further 80 movements a day. That is more than one HGV every two minutes at the junction of Georges Lane and Chorley Road. On a Saturday it is an HGV every minute due to reduced times and there is nothing to stop every single HGV  passing through Horwich Town Centre.

Just over 100 HGVs a day currently use Chorley road, so the number of HGVs will effectively increase c 400% (Even if only Montcliffe is considered the increase is above the 30% threshold required to trigger a full transport impact assesment).

Montcliffe Quarry is currently on a long term lease before the freehold is returned to Bolton Council, towards the end of this century.  Bolton Council (and therefore the community) benefit from a proportion of income from all minerals extracted from Montcliffe Quarry.