Despite the atrocious weather conditions residents packed in to Hesleden WMC last night to raise their concerns about the proposal submitted recently to extend the time allowed to remove spoil and minerals from the pit heap in Hesleden. This latest public meeting had been arranged following an initial meeting of residents held a couple of weeks ago where many questions were raised about the impact of the development and what lay ahead.
A representative of the developer and two planning officers accepted our invitation to come along last night to help residents understand more about the current proposal before they register their comments and concerns with the planning office as part of the planning application process.
In summary there were several questions from residents about the background to the original planning application approved back in 2016 and also about the planning process at the time that led to its approval. Perhaps most importantly there were many concerns raised about the damaging impact that the existing development was having on the community, and also about the likely impact for many years to come if the current proposals were to be given the green light. These included issues around traffic generation and filthy, damaged roads and how these had led to years of misery and upheaval for residents - particularly for those closest to the development site. Unfortunately many of the fears I expressed when I objected to the original planning application have come to pass. These are outlined in my report following the planning committee held in January 2016: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2016/01/hesleden-pit-heap-removal-to-go-ahead.html
As for last night’s meeting I think the most worrying concerns related to the fine dust and particulates coming from the site and the ongoing impact these were reported to be having on the health of a number of residents throughout the village. Questions were also raised about the locations and the effectiveness of monitoring equipment and methods of dust suppression. These are serious issues and they cannot be disregarded.
In addition there were concerns expressed by residents living along the B1281 between Hesleden and Castle Eden about the suitability of the road to accommodate the weight, size and volume of vehicles coming to and from the development site - sometimes up to 44 trips a day - and occasionally crossing the central white lines into the opposite lane. The impact of noise and nuisance generated from the site was reported to be particularly significant along Gray Avenue which is the sole link road from the site to the B1281 and beyond. Residents there talked of wagons rumbling in and out of the village, often from early morning and into the evening, meaning they weren't able to use their gardens or in some cases even leave their homes.
The issues raised above are by no means intended as an exhaustive account of last night's public meeting. They are simply a few of the many comments and concerns raised by residents in Hesleden and other communities who will be significantly and adversely affected by the impact of this planning application if it is allowed to proceed.
With that in mind, at the close of the meeting residents were urged to use the time available between now and the publication of the planning report (expected in the summer) to submit their comments to the planning department either through the council's planning portal at: https://publicaccess.durham.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=R58R0BGD0ER00 or via the case officer Chris Shields who can be contacted direct at: chris.shields@durham.gov.uk
As far as I’m concerned the most important part of the planning process is making sure that members of the public have every opportunity to let the planning department know what they think about a particular planning application - so yesterday I published an article on this site about the planning process and how planning applications are decided: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-planning-process-and-how-planning.html
Now that residents have the information they need to make an informed submission to the planning office the next step is to make sure residents know how to register their comments - and importantly, how to use what planners call material planning considerations when making their submissions. To help with those issues I’ve included a link to the council’s planning site: https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/8276/View-and-comment-on-current-planning-applications
In conclusion the message loud and clear from residents last night was that they do not want this development to go ahead, and for strong and valid reasons. They’ve simply had enough of the upheaval. Although we have a fight on our hands we mustn't lose heart. With the right arguments and the voice of the entire community behind us we can win through. The key is to stand together and last night the residents of Hesleden and beyond showed that they're more than ready for the challenge ahead.