Council opposes new 13-year quarry plan

Less than a hectare of the new area crosses the border into Dorset

A council has objected a 13-year sand extraction proposal, claiming not enough has been done to mitigate the traffic and environmental impact locally.

The proposed quarry near Alderholt has been opposed by Dorset Council, with a final decision on it to be made by Hampshire Council.

Almost all of the 88 hectare (217 acre) site is in Hampshire, although Dorset land will provide access to the site.

Cemex, which has proposed the new area for extraction, already has a site to the south at Hamer Warren, which is expected to be completed by 2030.

Less than a hectare of the new area crosses the border into Dorset, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Cemex say the new site at Midgham Farm, if allowed, will see 3.6m tonnes of sand extracted over 13 years, bringing in 2.9m tonnes of inert waste into the site as part of the restoration plan.

It claimed earth bunds will be built up around the site to help reduce noise and dust levels.

Most of the traffic from the site will travel down Alderholt Road by HGV to Baker's Hanging and from there onto the wider road network, the same route used by the existing quarry site at Hamer Warren.

Cemex say that there are currently about 2,500 vehicle movements in total along the road, with the busiest period between 08:00 and 09:00 seeing 220 vehicle movements – with about 80 HGV movements throughout the day from Hamer Warren.

Councillor Gina Logan from Alderholt parish council says the access road is often difficult for two HGVs to pass and says fellow parish councillors are against a conveyor belt proposal to link sites.

The council claims the hydrological survey carried out by the company does not cover a wide enough area and believes there may be an increasing flooding risk from the development.

There has also been criticism of Cemex for only donating £2,000 over 35 years of operation to benefit the local community and £1,000 a year to help with the upkeep of the public roads its vehicles use.

Dorset Highways officers have calculated the likely increase in HGVs to be 6% if the sand extraction is approved, and fears more lorries on a narrow road will only lead to more roadside damage to Hampshire's road network with Baker's Hanging listed as a collision "hot spot" – although it may be able to be re-modelled to make it safer at Cemex's cost.