Devon County Council has released the agenda for the 6 June Development Management Committee meeting, 2pm at County Hall, and the report "Outline of responses to local consultation on Future Quarrying in East and Mid Devon", which will be presented at that meeting. DCC has summarised the responses to the consultation and outlined the work that now needs to be done before publishing the Minerals Plan later in the year.
In 1965, Straitgate Farm near Ottery St Mary in Devon was bought by ECC Quarries in the hope it would yield 20 million tonnes of sand & gravel. In 2001, Straitgate Action Group was formed to oppose the development and its potential harm to water supplies, ancient wetland habitats, protected species and much more. In 2023, Aggregate Industries – owned by Swiss giant Holcim – was finally granted permission to quarry just 1 million tonnes following a public inquiry. This blog records the story.