Opposition mounts to lorries at Wolverton quarry

John Stacey & Sons Ltd, of Silchester Road, has applied for planning permission at Kingsclere Lime Quarry, Kingsclere Road, Wolverton, to construct a materials recycling facility and transfer station, for construction, demolition and excavation waste.
A spokesman for the company, Colin Stone, has confirmed that, if approved, the plans would result in an average of 50 lorries visiting the site each day.
John Stacey & Sons is the owner of the quarry, according to Hampshire County Council, which is to decide on the application, with a June 7 target date for a decision.
Hannington Parish Council has also added its weight to concerns and recently submitted an official statement outlining objections to the county council, including that: “Note that Hannington most used vehicle exit to the outside world is a very short distance west of the quarry on the A339.”
The statement continued: “Slow moving long vehicles exiting the quarry site to the east cannot avoid interfering with eastbound traffic just as it is accelerating onto the only bit of two lane opportunity between Newbury and Basingstoke.”
At a recent (Mar 26) Kingsclere Parish Council meeting, newly-elected chairman Richard Smith read out a letter from John Stacey’s agent inviting parish councillors to a meeting to discuss the proposals, which the councillors agreed to accept.
John Stacey & Sons have been unable to provide further details about the proposed meeting.
In Kingsclere, where villagers and parish councillors are already battling to prevent HGVs travelling along narrow streets including Swan Street, former parish council chairman Peter Goff said that the application could result in an extra 100 lorry movements a day to and from the site through surrounding villages en route to Tadley.
“Our main concern is a possible increase in traffic through the village and on the A339,” said Mr Goff.
Baughurst Parish Council’s objections include that lorries turning left or right out of the site onto the A339 could create a potentially dangerous, and possibly fatal, road traffic situation.
Baughurst parish councillors have also raised concerns that the lorries heading back to Tadley would short cut through Wolverton, while pointing out the site lies in an area of outstanding natural beauty adjacent to two Grade-II listed sites, including Wolverton House park and St Catherine’s Church, with fears that trees would be removed and woodland affected.