Proposed sandpit would ' set terrible precedent' for National Park

The UK Government's Policy for National Parks is that only in exceptional circumstances should new minerals developments occur inside park boundaries.

Planning policies say that major developments should take place only in exceptional circumstances and only when they can be demonstrated to be in the public interest.

Government guidance states that account needs to be taken of the availability of minerals supply from elsewhere in the country in determining whether or not the circumstances of a planning application are "exceptional" and "in the public interest".

Bignor resident Scott Greenhalgh, told the West Sussex Gazette that "This is about more than Horncroft, it is about the South Downs National Park and the precedent this would set creating environmental damage within the park" said Mr Greenhalgh.

"The Government guidelines also suggest a Judicial Review might be necessary should WSCC decide to allow the planning application to proceed".

It also can be argued that there is no economic need for further sand quarries in West Sussex and that the county's quota for soft sand, sharp sand or gravel could be met from gravel sites from outside the National Park.

He said: "It is a question of apportionment and at the moment there are no sub categories between the three. West Sussex can achieve its minerals quota by approving further gravel pits which lie outside the National Park."

Furthermore, in the case of the New Forest National Park it was decided that, new sites for sand and gravel extraction within the Park boundaries could not be justified because of widespread national deposits even if this meant that the New Forest area could not fulfil its apportionment for minerals extraction.

Production of sand and gravel in West Sussex, as shown in the county council's own tables, has in fact more than halved from one million tonnes in 2001 to around 400,000 tonnes in 2008, reflecting a general lack of demand even during a period of economic growth.

The annual production of sand has also more than halved over this period. Demand would have been even lower in 2009, and given the recession in both the private and construction sector and in public finances, demand is likely to remain subdued for the foreseeable future.

A recent West Sussex County Council report shows 6.7 years of reserves at existing quarries against the minerals quota that requires a minimum 7 year landbank.

However, this landbank is calculated assuming annual demand of 910,000 tonnes. Mr Greenhalgh said "actual production was just over 400,000 tonnes in each of 2007 and 2008 and because of the recession is likely to have been much lower in 2009 and remain low in the coming years. Taking the actual production/demand as opposed to the apportionment figure it can be argued that there are real reserves in excess of 15 years."

For full feature see West Sussex Gazette April 28