Together with the clerk to Monk Hesleden Parish Council we met
yesterday afternoon with the county council's planning case officer Chris Shields to talk through the main
implications of the recent planning application submitted by Hargreaves Surface Mining to remove the pit heap at
Hesleden (please see posts dated 2 & 9 April 2014 for background details).
From a DCC members' perspective we told him that we would object to the proposals, mainly
on the grounds of residents’ loss of amenity. We feel that the physical impact of 4 HGV's each hour, 6
days a week for 2 years, along with the potential health risks, noise and nuisance this would
bring, especially to residents in Gray Avenue and the surrounding area, would be
impossible to justify.
We also said that we will object on grounds of increased traffic generation and
road safety. We told Chris that there were existing and long-term problems with
traffic on the B1281 road between Hesleden and Castle Eden and that these problems
would be hugely increased by the type and amount of vehicles using the road
during the proposed extraction period.
We also drew Chris's attention to the council’s emerging street lighting
policy which is likely to result in lighting columns being removed from the western junction at Hesleden, and also from the B1281 from there to Castle Eden. That junction is already particularly risky and, in our opinion, this could have catastrophic consequences for road users and pedestrians travelling between the coast and the A19.
We are aware
from meeting with residents in both Hesleden and Castle Eden that a considerable majority of them are steadfastly opposed to this development going ahead. They have given many reasons for this and we are keen to ensure that all relevant points should be raised with the planning office by as many groups and
residents as possible. To this end, the case officer has assured us that representations
will be received until the day before the planning committee date, which is expected sometime in late summer, although this may be subject to delay.
We would urge everyone with an interest in this matter to contact the planning case officer to make their voice heard. The case officer can be contacted at: chris.shields@durham.gov.uk or, if you prefer to put your comments in writing, you could leave your letter at the Blackhall Resource Centre and we will ensure it gets to county hall.
As ever, when
a planning application is submitted to Durham County Council, our immediate reaction is always to
assess any potential benefits for the people and the community. Unfortunately we
cannot identify any such benefits in relation to this application, which in our
opinion appears to be motivated by nothing more than generating a handsome profit for
Hargreaves’ shareholders at the expense of two years of danger, filth and misery for our
constituents.