Dudley Kingswinford

At Staffordshire Council's offices today a Planning Hearing saw the Councillors unanimously vote to reject the application for planning permission to quarry the land adjacent to DKRFC, on the Mile Flat.

The Councillors felt there was no need for another sand and gravel quarry in Staffordshire at this time. A number of Councillors commented on the inappropriateness of the location. Specific reference was made to the Club and other neighbours, considering the negative impacts highlighted by the Planning Officer, from the objections recieved.

The Applicant (F. G. Davis) has six-months to decide whether or not to appeal this decision.

Disappointingly, the Councillors did see fit to agree, on a split decision, to extend the operation of the Enville Road quarry for fifteen-months until April 2015. Amid an amount of chaos and confusion, it was decided that econmoic conditions beyond the Applicant's control were to blame for the Applicant now being unable to meet the October 2013 deadline to cease operation at the quarry. It was felt that the review and reaction to the current status based on a survey in October 2012 (as recommended by the Planning Officer) be rejected - granting the application by default.