Town council objects to farm ‘quarry’ plans

Civic leaders in Leominster have objected to proposals which could see a hundred extra daily lorry journeys on local roads.

John Davies has asked Herefordshire Council for permission to remove a condition attached to S&A Produce’s approved construction of water storage reservoirs at Brierley Court strawberry farm in Brierley.

The scheme to build the reservoirs was approved in January 2014 but it has a condition that no excavated materials shall be removed from the farm and no waste materials shall be imported to the site.

Mr Davies is proposing removal of this condition to allow 100 lorry movements per day, 50 in and 50 out of the site, to transport sand and gravel to Tarmac’s quarry in Wellington.

If approved, the lorries will travel from the site east along the private road, turning left on to the B4361 Hereford Road and then right along Southern Avenue (through an industrial area) to link up with the A44/A49.

This route would avoid Brierley hamlet altogether.

Leominster Town Council asked for more information about how long this extraction would go on for.

But at their planning & highways committee last night decided to object to the plans as no further information was forthcoming.

“They haven’t got in touch with me with more information about vehicle movements or quantities to be extracted, so we are exactly the same as we were at the last meeting,” town clerk Julie Debbage said.

Town councillors voted to object due to the lack of infromation and raised concerns over traffic, road safety and noise and disturbance.

Leominster South county councillor Trish Marsh said: “As sufficient information hasn’t been given, the only logical thing to do is to object.”