More from Nigel Rock on Stockton Quarry

12.46.45pm GMT Wed 25th Mar 2009

Nigel Rock at the Cemex site

Liberal Democrat councillor for Stockton and Napton, Nigel Rock, has sharply criticised cement giant Cemex for going back on an agreement not to move its Stockton quarry operations nearer houses at Stockton.

Nigel Rock, who is also the party's prospective parliamentary candidate for the new Kenilworth and Southam constituency, has raised his concerns in a special newsletter to local residents, and has asked for a concerted effort to stop the new proposals before they've become established.

'We had extensive discussions with Cemex three years ago, and the company agreed then not to move the quarry nearer to houses,' said Cllr Rock. 'And to reinforce that, a buffer of newly-planted trees was established between the quarry and the houses. However, the new plans, revealed in a recent Warwickshire County Council 'consultation document', show that Cemex now want to extend the quarry's boundaries even further than before, destroying the belt of trees and advancing to within 100 metres of houses.'

'It seems that Cemex intends to ride rough-shod over the agreements they made just three years ago, and I'm very concerned for local residents, whose houses will now be blighted by these proposals. I've passed on to the County Council and Cemex my concern on four main issues; that the boundaries of extraction permitted by the existing planning permission were agreed by WCC after extensive work both by the company, officers and local representatives and should not be changed; that the proposals would eradicate the woodland planted areas designed to screen the quarry in the long term from both Stockton and Napton, and ignore the elevated contours of the ground; that the reserves of clay within the areas already permitted were forecast to match the life of the Rugby plant; and that quarrying activities would be within an unhealthy proximity to dwellings in Stockton and at Greaves Cottages in respect of noise and dust.'

Cllr Rock added 'There was a meeting on Monday evening (23rd March) between Cemex and local representatives, and Cemex's seemed very confused about the extension they are asking for in the strategy. Cemex seem not to have considered the implications of the newly-proposed boundaries on local people. As well as trying to extend the site in the overall minerals strategy, they warned local Councillors they are intending to put in a planning application before the development of the strategy has run its course. It's just not good enough - this is a sensitive and important issue, and local people deserve and demand proper consideration.'