Aggregate Industries' proposal to quarry Straitgate would generate up to 216 HGV movements a day.
To put that number in context, let's look at the biggest mining project in the UK: the Sirius Minerals project to extract polyhalite at its mine at Dove’s Nest Farm in the North York Moors National Park.
The project has recently run into problems. Now – earlier than expected in an effort to 'de-risk' the project for investors – the plan is to transport the fertiliser above ground, from the Woodsmith Mine near Whitby to Teesside. According to TeessideLive, Sirius Minerals plan to bring polyhalite to Teesside by lorry – but only 63 journeys allowed a day:
Sirius Minerals plan to bring polyhalite to Teesside by lorry - but only 63 journeys allowed a day https://t.co/zkzUHjdU2s
— News on Teesside (@NewsonTeesside) November 18, 2019
Planning permission is already in place for Sirius HGV vehicles to make 63 return journeys a day, along the A171 and into Teesside.
It was sought by the firm from the outset to cover an interim period between reaching first polyhalite and building the remaining infrastructure needed to transport it underground.
Indeed, the North York Moors National Park Authority Planning Committee Report talks about:
the worst case scenario of 127 daily HGV movements 15.6.5
By contrast, the number of HGV movements that would be generated by Aggregate Industries if quarrying were to proceed at Straitgate are up to 70% higher – part of the route on a B road as little as 5.3m wide.
