Hampshire County Council approves New Milton Sand & Ballast’s Ashley Manor Farm quarry plans

A COUNTY councillor apologised to New Milton residents after he and his colleagues “reluctantly” approved plans to turn farmland into a quarry.

It was a unanimous vote by HCC’s regulatory committee members which approved New Milton Sand and Ballast’s (NMSB) controversial application to turn Ashley Manor Farm into a gravel extraction site for more than a decade.

After the vote was passed, committee chair Cllr Peter Latham told objectors from the town who came to the meeting: “I am sorry, and I do understand how you feel.”

Ashley Manor Farm is now set to begin operating as a 26.8 hectare extraction site after NMSB folds up its nearby Downton Manor Farm quarrying operation by 2027.

But this also depends on the adoption of an update to HCC’s Minerals and Waste Plan, which includes Ashley Manor Farm and sites at Ringwood and Fordingbridge. The update is currently with the Secretary of State for examination.

As one of more than 50 conditions put on the new development, a junction will be built off the A337 roundabout to access the site, which will produce more than 1.7 million tonnes of aggregates during its operation.

The site will also be screened with new hedgerows and new rights of way, with the land turned back to its original use once the quarry is exhausted.

At Wednesday’s county council meeting, members heard the authority received more than 300 objections to the scheme, including from New Milton Town Council and New Forest West MP Sir Desmond Swayne.

Sitting with New Milton residents, Sir Desmond told councillors there is “no overriding need” for the development, adding: “I wonder if we’re not proceeding with this a little prematurely.”

Fellow objector Julia Bowen, who lives near the farm, said: “There are going to be more than 150 lorry movements daily. Has any consideration been given to the major disruption this will cause on the roads?

“I would ask the county council to support the town council, the MP and the large number of people objecting to the scheme by rejecting this. I feel very passionately about the town and its future.”

Marilyn Husbands, who also lives near the site, said: “It’s that dangerous piece of road that’s the problem here.

“The site sits at the point where the urban meets the rural.

“How could filling in the quarry after you’ve used it improve on what we have now? It’s a site that’s been used for food production since the Iron Age, and is teeming with wildlife.”

Peter Bowyer asked councillors if consideration had been given to the increase in noise and dust pollution at the site that will be caused by coastal winds.

Fellow objector Pamela Perry pointed out that two previous attempts to turn the site into a quarry in the 1990s were rejected by the county council on the advice of its officers.

“Nothing’s changed since then,” she told committee members.

Barton-on-Sea Golf Club chair Tony Milner told councillors the quarry operation could negatively affect the ground water his club uses.

Mr Milner said the club uses the equivalent of 150 homes worth of water per day, adding: “Without our groundwater our golf club would be dead within a week.”

Answering Mr Milner’s concerns, council officer Tim Felstead said the Environment Agency had stated the quarry operation would not affect his club’s groundwater.

Speaking in favour of the application, NMSB representatives said the quarry will ensure a supply of aggregates for building on the Forest and reduce the need for “more expensive minerals” to be imported into the Forest.

During a debate, Cllr Mark Cooper said: “I don’t like this application. But if we were to refuse it today it would almost certainly go to an appeal, we would be on a hiding to nothing.”

Noting that changes to the National Policy Planning Framework may be coming soon, he added: “I’m very torn, but I think the situation nationally is such that we have no option but to go along with the recommendation.”

Cllr Lesley Meenaghan said: “I think we all feel that same sentiment. Clearly the supply need is in close proximity to demand – we have to go with this application.”

Cllr Rod Cooper added: “I don’t like this application either. It’s in the wrong place and I really feel for the residents.”

Cllr Steven Broomfield said he would “hold his nose” and support the application.

Summarising the committee’s position, Cllr Latham said: “Overriding all concerns is the National Planning Policy Framework. It makes it very clear – and I don’t like this but it’s true – we can only extract sand and gravel where it is found. It’s inevitable that on this site that would be unpopular.”

After councillors approved recommendations to convert the farm into a quarry, objector James Gardiner told the A&T: “We’re extremely disappointed that the councillors have all reluctantly approved the application. We hoped they would be strong enough to challenge it.”

Julia Bowen added that the decision had not been “properly considered” and was “purely driven by need”.