If Aggregate Industries is to quarry Straitgate Farm, it must do so without creating any water bodies – for aircraft safeguarding reasons – as we have previously posted.
Is that possible? Of course not.
How can we be so sure? You only have to look at Aggregate Industries’ Houndaller quarry at Hillhead, near Uffculme. It has the same type of sand and gravel that exists at Straitgate Farm. We recently posted that Aggregate Industries has ponding problems at Houndaller, and that the company has now been forced to apply for permission to change the surface water management plan for the site.
Last December, Devon County Council’s Monitoring Report for the site reported:
4.15 Since the previous monitoring visit, Phase 6 has now been worked out and is awaiting grading and topsoiling… It is understood water is ponding in this Phase and the operator would like to direct this water to Houndaller Pond, north of the farmhouse in order to complete restoration.
And the scale of the problem? The Monitoring Report helpfully provides this photo:
