Hatfield Aerodrome quarry plan: Campaigners welcome rejection

The Planning Inspectorate said harm to the green belt on the former Hatfield Aerodrome site was "not outweighed" by the economic benefits

Campaigners have welcomed a decision not to allow a quarry on the site of the former Hatfield Aerodrome but have warned their battle is not yet over.

The Planning Inspectorate dismissed an appeal by Brett Aggregates after its plans to extract minerals from the site in Hertfordshire were rejected.

Colney Heath Parish Council said it "proves we were right to fight" but a further application was pending.

Brett Aggregates said it was "disappointed" with the appeal outcome.

Hatfield Aerodrome was a private airfield between Smallford and Ellenbrook, linked to the de Havilland Aircraft Company factory from 1930. It was acquired by Hawker Siddeley from 1960 and became part of British Aerospace in 1978.

It was redeveloped in the 1990s, and offices, businesses and homes cover part of the site. The rest is grassland known as Ellenbrook Fields, which is popular with walkers and cyclists.

Brett Aggregates planned to extract up to eight million tonnes of sand and gravel from this part of the site over a 32-year period, but their planning application was rejected by Hertfordshire County Council.

Brett Aggregates planned to develop the southern half of the former Hatfield Aerodrome site

Following a nine-day planning inquiry in November, the Planning Inspectorate published its decision on Tuesday, which said the plans should not be allowed to go ahead.

It said harm to the green belt was "not outweighed by the benefits" of extracting minerals.

Parish council chairman, Peter Cook, said: "This proves we were right to fight the appeal.

"We have won the battle, but we haven't won the war. The new application could still run."

The parish council, along with Ellenbrook Residents' Association and Smallford Residents' Association, was represented at the inquiry, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

They also highlighted a risk to public health due to the site's proximity to the "bromate plume" - the contamination of an underground water reservoir/aquifer related to the chemical works that closed at nearby Sandridge in about 1980.

"[The quarry] would have been a blot on the landscape - and residents would have lost the country park," Mr Cook said.

"If this had been granted there would have been mineral extraction in this area for over a century.

"The county council should review its mineral plan and look at a balanced distribution of sites."

Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council said it also welcomed the decision and had "submitted strong written objections for a number of reasons".

In September, Brett Aggregates submitted revised proposals which were due to be heard at a later date.

A company spokesman said: "We are disappointed about the outcome of our appeal and we are working to understand fully the reasons why it has been dismissed before considering our options."

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