Following the Now it's our turn to lobby Government post, calling for more to be done to promote the use of secondary rather than primary aggregates, here's a response from Hugo Swire MP and the Financial Secretary Nicky Morgan MP, in answer to a local resident's letter on the issue:
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.