Quarry plan subject to second inquiry

The quarry plan is for the former Hatfield Aerodrome site which sits between Ellenbrook and Smallford

Plans for a sand and gravel quarry in Hertfordshire are to be considered by a planning inquiry, after an appeal was lodged against their refusal.

An application to extract about eight million tonnes of material from the site of the former Hatfield Aerodrome, was turned down by Hertfordshire County Council earlier this year.

Almost six months later, an appeal from developers Brett Aggregates has been lodged with the Planning Inspectorate.

A hearing, scheduled for November, will be the second time that plans for the site, which sits between Ellenbrook and Smallford, have been subject to an inquiry.

Ellenbrook Fields has a series of permissive footpaths popular with walkers and cyclists

In 2021, Brett Aggregates challenged the refusal of an earlier application for a quarry on the site and were unsuccessful.

The latest application sought permission to extract material over 32 years and to bring in “inert waste” to reinstate ground levels, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

It included plans for a new access on to the A1057, an aggregate processing plant and other facilities, but unlike the previous application it did not include a “concrete batching plant”.

The proposals also allowed for a phased approach, meaning areas of the site would be accessible to ramblers, dog walkers and others throughout the 32 year period.

In refusing the application, Hertfordshire County Council had highlighted eight reasons, which focussed on the impact on the Green Belt, heritage, residential amenity, landscape character, biodiversity, public access, the highway and groundwater.

A council spokesman confirmed that an appeal against the Development Control Committee’s refusal had been lodged.

"In due course we will be presenting our outline of the case to the Planning Inspectorate in accordance with their timetable by 6 August," he said.

The last Planning Inquiry that considered the previous application for a quarry on the former Hatfield Aerodrome site was held in November 2021 – with the Inspector publishing his decision in January 2022.

And council officers have previously described the latest application as being “substantially similar” to the first.

Brett Aggregates has been approached for comment.

The inquiry is due to start on 19 November and scheduled to last for 10 days.