AN APPLICATION to extend a West Dorset quarry to extract a further 1.5 million tonnes of sand and gravel has been approved by county planners.
The quarry is situated immediately to the south and south east of Chard Junction and is within the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The 20 hectare application site, owned by Forde Abbey Estate, consists of a proposed extraction area, existing quarry haul road, existing silt lagoon and existing mineral processing plant and stockyard area.
It is next to the Grade 1 listed Forde Abbey and English Heritage initially objected to the proposals from Aggregate Industries Ltd, on the basis that they would adversely affect the setting of the abbey and its park and gardens, but dropped the objection after a revised scheme of landscaping and land restoration was submitted.
The proposal for the Chard Junction quarry on the Dorset-Somerset border will mean the permanent diversion of part of the Liberty Trail right of way, adding an extra 30 metres to the footpath.
Recommending approval of the latest scheme, subject to a string of conditions, head of Dorset county planning Don Gobbett said: “Benefits to the local economy and the acceptable visual impact of the proposal justify the extension and continued presence of Chard Junction Quarry.”
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