Last month, as we posted, Aggregate Industries submitted planning application 20/2542/FUL to East Devon District Council "to facilitate an efficient crossing point for the current dairy herd at Straitgate Farm" across the B3174 Exeter Road, Ottery’s busiest road. It was another twist in the company’s bungling and interminable struggle to win permission to quarry almost 90% of the farm’s acreage.
The application was submitted in an effort to assuage concerns raised by Devon County Council – concerns revealed by this FOI request. The Council had made it clear to Aggregate Industries that the issues of cows and their impact on road safety had to be dealt with before the company’s application to quarry Straitgate Farm could proceed any further; the cows being the 150 or so in number that currently graze the site, that would require to cross the road 4x daily to alternative pasture if quarrying proceeded.
For anyone not lucky enough to watch cows crossing a road, here’s a video taken elsewhere in Devon.
East Devon District Council received almost 50 objections to Aggregate Industries’ cattle crossing proposal, including from West Hill Parish Council and Ottery Town Council. No response has yet been received from Devon County Highway Authority, but Highways England warned:
Should any increase in the frequency and/or duration of closures of the B3174 be proposed in future (to facilitate the crossing of livestock), an assessment of the impact of this on the safe operation of the A30 trunk road must be undertaken.
Currently, livestock cross the B3174 Exeter Road infrequently, at quiet times, and in low numbers.
The application closed for comments on 12 January. Days later, however, the consultation was re-opened. Three further parties were added to the consultee list: Exeter Airport, Devon County Council Minerals Planning Authority and Devon Stone Federation.
Quite why these parties have only now been consulted is unclear. Straitgate Farm is in a Mineral Consultation Area. Although, the latter two bodies should be consulted on planning applications within those Consultation Areas, "the construction or alteration of an access or a fence or other boundary.." is exempt from the need for consultation, according to Appendix B of the Minerals Plan. What these parties can add to the debate over a proposal for "a new field gate" remains to be seen.
For anyone still wanting to respond to this madcap proposal, the consultation period has now been extended to 7 February.
