Minerals & Waste - Thrupp
Extraction of gravel from Thrupp Lane, Radley, Vale District
Permission to extract and process sand and gravel on Thrupp Lane, in the Green Belt at Radley, Vale of White Horse, was originally granted to H Tuckwell and Son Ltd (“Tuckwells”) in 1979, with extensions being granted thereafter. In 2002, Tuckwells was granted a further 5 year extension to enable all sand and gravel to be removed. However, in practice Tuckwells has not excavated material on the site since 1995 and has for many years been using the plant, without authority and therefore unlawfully, to process sand and gravel brought in by HGVs from other sites. Tuckwells also has approval for a concrete batching operation on the same site.
There are other works, including old quarry workings, beyond the Tuckwells site on Thrupp Lane. In particular J Curtis and Son (“Curtis”) owns land beside Barton Lane (running towards Abingdon Science Park) to the south-west. The land includes a former quarry still estimated to contain 1 million tonnes of extractable gravel and sand, and a site on which a number of other commercial premises operate, in some cases without valid planning consent. These works have been the subject of an application for a CLEUD (“Certificate of Lawfulness for Existing Use or Development”) that has still not been decided. The quarry benefits from a Review of Old Mineral Permission (though for it to remain valid an Environmental Impact Statement needs to be submitted by September 2012).
Tuckwells has produced figures suggesting that the various commercial operations on Thrupp Lane generate 250-300 HGV movements per day on Thrupp Lane (of which they claim they constitute about a quarter). Thrupp Lane is totally unsuitable for heavy vehicles. It is mainly single track with several sharp bends; it is a Bridleway and is part of Sustrans Cycle Route No 5. It is well used for the agricultural, residential and leisure access for which it is suitable, but these uses suffer from regular intense HGV traffic.
Curtis and Tuckwell have both made applications to legalise or extend the use of their sites for those activities which are not covered by formal approvals. An application by Tuckwells for a CLEUD was rejected in 2010 but has been resubmitted and is pending, as is the Curtis CLEUD referred to above.
Tuckwells has now put forward an application for permission to use the site for approximately fifteen years to process the million tonnes not previously extracted from the Curtis quarry, and have undertaken to stop the importation of sand and gravel for processing immediately and withdraw their CLEUD application if they receive consent. They also promise to replace the existing unsightly and intrusive reprocessing equipment with more environmentally suitable modern equipment.
The proposal is something of a Faustian deal which might reduce the impact of Tuckwells' sand and gravel operations on Thrupp Lane and bring them to an end in a finite period, with the implicit threat that they may otherwise continue indefinitely. But it would make only a small difference to the level of the totally unacceptable HGV traffic on Thrupp Lane.
CPRE Vale District therefore indicated that it opposed the application unless an alternative mandatory route for HGVs is created. We are also argued for a coordinated approach from the County and District Councils to achieve better control over an area that makes a mockery of the principles of the Green Belt and of good planning practice.
Update, 30 April 2012
The Tuckwells' application was approved by the Vale of White Horse District Council's planning committee on 16 April. However, there is a new condition requiring a production limit for the plant so as to avoid any worsening of the traffic. There are also ongoing talks, involving local residents, about alternative HGV routes. Finally, Tuckwells is required to dimsantle the old plant within three months. All small steps in the right direction, but a long way to go.
See: CPRE Vale District Letter of opposition to Tuckwell's latest application, February 2012 (PDF)
See: CPRE Vale District letter of objection to Tuckwell's CLEUD application, June 2010 (PDF)
See: CPRE Vale District Letter of opposition to Tuckwell's application, February 2008 (PDF)
Find Out More
Below are a list of links to further information regarding this campaign: