Sand and gravel production in Devon is likely to be down again this year, if national trends are followed. In 2011 production in Devon was just 0.44 million tonnes; ten years before that it was 1.15.
The Mineral Products Association's recent release Further decline in third quarter mineral product sales confirms steep decline in construction activity in 2012 claims "demand this year will be lower than the previous depths of the recession in 2009", with sand and gravel sales down 11% on the same quarter last year.
If DCC continues to call for additional sand and gravel provision in the face of continually falling demand, it will need to explain to the people of Ottery St Mary and Devon why a 20 year long downwards trend is likely to reverse, and why a perfectly good dairy farm should be sacrificed when the County still has reserves of over 9 million tonnes.
