Following Professor Brassington’s damning report on the impact that plans to quarry Straitgate Farm would have on the "fragile groundwater system" – Professor of Hydrogeology says ‘ANY quarrying at Straitgate would cause problems’ – Devon Gardens Trust, acting for The Gardens Trust in its role as Statutory Consultee, has now objected to Aggregate Industries’ planning application. As DGT explains:
Local planning authorities must… consult the Gardens Trust on planning applications that may affect historic designed landscapes in England and Wales that are on the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest that is held by Historic England.
The NPPF says:
Substantial harm to or loss of: a) grade II ... parks or gardens, should be exceptional; b) ... grade I and II* listed buildings, grade I and II* registered parks and gardens,... should be wholly exceptional 194
We posted last year DGT concerned AI’s plans could turn Grade I Cadhay’s fishponds “into a quagmire”. Today the DGT has again written to DCC expressing its concern about the impact of AI’s plans on water supplies to Cadhay – a Tudor Manor House:
The water supply to the fishponds comes from a spring located just below the extraction site at Straitgate Farm, a mile to the west of Cadhay. The fishponds have relied on the spring as a source of water for over 500 years. If the proposed extraction disrupts the spring and the water supply, the fishponds which are an essential and important feature of the gardens at Cadhay, will be turned into a quagmire, to the considerable detriment of the historic designed landscape.
We have studied the report by Rick Brassington, Consultant Hydrogeologist, dated May 2019, on the Groundwater and related conditions at a proposed quarry near Ottery St Mary. The report considers the likely impact of the proposed quarry at Straitgate Farm on the water supply to Cadhay. The conclusions are much as we feared. The Gardens Trust is therefore extremely concerned about the effect that the proposed extraction of up to 1.5 million tonnes of as raised sand and gravel at Straitgate Farm would have on the water supply to the fishponds at Cadhay. We therefore ask your Council, in the light of the additional information by Rick Brassington, to refuse consent for this application.
Thanks very much for hosting as always @CadhayHouse - sure it was another fantastic afternoon there.https://t.co/MFfHZDaUdH— FORCE Cancer Charity (@forcecancer) May 31, 2019
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| Photo: Matt Austin |
