Decision on the North Lincolnshire quarry expansion delayed again. Concerns over lorry traffic and road conditions persist.
Locals are not happy. Parish councils object to the quarry plans. They say lorries drive past their homes, even with a haul road.
Councillors delayed a vote. They want to visit the site again. They previously visited about a concrete plan and rejected it.
The quarry plan is delayed again. They need time to find acceptable terms. The owner, Jan Faulkner-Smith, said he’ll listen and denies his lorries use certain roads.
Residents say concrete blocks block quarry access. The blocks stop trucks on Redbourne Road. One resident says it took 15 years to see the impact.
The quarry reopened in 2009 after an appeal. It needed a haul road then. The wording on its use makes enforcement hard.
One resident sees lorries still in the village. He questions more years of wasted money. Enforcement officers must investigate breaches.
The quarry owner states facts matter. He heard claims about lorries on Mill Road. “My lorries have trackers,” he stated. He claims other firms’ lorries use it.
Welton offered to restrict lorry access on the direct route to Redbourne Road. Mr. Faulkner-Smith suggested a weight limit on Mill Road.
He promised to visit weekly to personally oversee things. The quarry lacks material. It may shrink if they refuse, meaning people may lose jobs.
Mr. Faulkner-Smith spoke with Cllr Trevor Foster. Foster thought the quarry boss’s view was “way off the mark.” Cllr Davison used the haul road after his sat nav directed him that way.
He said the road seemed temporary and cannot work for the quarry’s entire lifespan. The haul road has many potholes.
Cllr Sherwood proposed another delay. He wants the council to work out restrictions. Highways and the applicant should cooperate. The vote was unanimous.