New plans for a mineral extraction quarry in Ellenbrook field have sparked fierce anger among residents, with the application set to be determined at a crunch county council meeting on Tuesday 31st October.
Welwyn Hatfield MP Grant Shapps has also strongly opposed these plans from the beginning and has today published an open letter to the members of the county council’s planning committee – which has been co-signed by well over 700 Ellenbrook residents in only three days.
The letter – written in conjunction with the Ellenbrook Area Residents’ Association and also sent directly to the members of the planning committee – speaks out unequivocally against the plan, and lays out the reasons to refuse it.
Mr Shapps’ letter reads:
“Hatfield residents are distraught at the idea you might approve this disastrous, ill-conceived and wholly inappropriate plan.
“Further, this area has taken far more than its fair share of mineral extraction over the years, and it’s of great concern that HCC has chosen not to consider the alternatives available across the county.”
After laying out some of the technical reasons against the plans, Mr Shapps goes on to say:
“To support this application would not be a brave and bold decision, it would not be good for the county, and it would not be the right thing to do. It would be to tell the thousands of people this affects that the science doesn’t matter, the planning rules don’t matter, and their wellbeing doesn’t matter.
“This letter has been co-signed by well over 700 of my constituents over the past three days, demonstrating just how strongly people feel this quarry should never happen.”
The planning application for a new quarry in Ellenbrook fields made by Brett Aggregates will be determined by Hertfordshire County Council’s Development Control Committee at their meeting on Tuesday 31st October.
You can read Grant’s letter here.