After all these years, Aggregate Industries still can’t get its act together; its planning application to quarry Straitgate Farm has been delayed yet again.
Readers may remember that DCC had been rushing to make the DMC meeting on 6 September, only to be stopped in its tracks by concerns from the EA. Alternative arrangements were then put in place for committee members to visit Straitgate prior to the 25 October DMC meeting; these were also cancelled when AI requested that determination be deferred until the DMC meeting of 29 November.
It now appears that AI is not ready for that date either, and the application will therefore not be determined before 2018; the first DMC meeting in 2018 is on 24 January.
DCC and the EA are still awaiting information on a number of issues. DCC asked AI for a Stage 2 Road Safety Audit regarding the cattle crossing in September; perhaps it’s telling that no such audit has been posted on DCC’s planning website.
Looking further back, it was two years ago this month that we wrote Decision on Straitgate and Blackhill delayed until 2016. These previous applications were also beset by delays, and were finally withdrawn in March 2016, AI’s intention being that "revised applications for essentially the same development… will be submitted towards the end of March 2016".
Of course, the revised applications were not essentially the same, and did not go live for another year.
Further back still, the Devon Minerals Plan was also beset by delays as DCC waited for AI to show that Straitgate Farm was deliverable.
This catalogue of delays shows yet again that Straitgate Farm is not a suitable location for a quarry.
When will somebody put this dog out of its misery?
