Residents vow to fight any Crookham quarry plans

Chamberhouse Mill Lane residents discovered that Waterside Farm, owned by St John’s College, Oxford, could see tonnes of gravel extracted from the area after seeing surveyors at the site.
Around 23 households have formed the Stop St John’s College, Waterside Farm Proposal Action Group on Facebook to raise awareness of Grundon’s proposals.
In a letter to the college Crookham resident Colonel David Hopley OBE RM(Retd) said: “It is our intent to fight this proposal by whatever means necessary, and in so doing highlight the damage that St John’s College ... is intent on inflicting on the environment, the eco-system, the neighbourhood, the town, and not least, the residents, both those that live on the lane, but also the many hundreds who access the area for recreational purposes.
“Waterside Farm and the surrounding area is a site of natural beauty, accessible to Thatcham, Crookham and Newbury residences, many of whom walk or ride along the public footpaths and bridal ways.”
Colonel Hopley also raised concerns over the effect that any extraction would have on the flood plain, saying that homes were at risk of flooding in last year’s winter storms. “If you extract the gravel it will cease to be an effective flood defence,” he said.
And he said that a quarry surrounding properties in the area would render them unsellable or see their value reduced significantly.
Signing off, Colonel Hopley said: “I hope you understand the serious threat this proposal represents and that we will
seek to redress it in a very public way, utilising whatever resources necessary to try to prevent Waterside Farm being ‘destroyed,’ and with that, the lives of those of us who live here.”
In response, Grundon estates director, Andrew Short, said: “Grundon is at the very early stages of site investigation works on land at Waterside Farm in the Kennet Valley, to provide a follow-on source of building materials when the reserves at Kennetholme Farm run out.
“Any development would involve the use of the existing processing and ready mixed concrete plants and the existing access via the Colthrop Industrial Estate, directly on to the A4.
“The site would be operated and restored in a series of progressive phases.”
Mr Short said that only small areas of the land would be in use at any one time and that the land use would be temporary.
“As our plans develop, we will be discussing them further with our local community,” he said.