Initial groundwater measurements taken on 25 January for AI's six piezometers have been supplied and range from 0.17m to 7.65m of water. Although the piezometers are in different positions to the 1990 drillings, the measurements approximate to earlier readings and confirm the same underlying groundwater flow from west to east, as expected. Further readings will be downloaded in due course.
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.