Being ‘mined to extinction’ (From Thisisdorset)

Being ‘mined to extinction’

11:16am Wednesday 8th November 2006 in

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A GREEN lung area of countryside providing leisure activities for the people of Bournemouth is under threat now that a second gravel and sand mine has been given the thumbs-up from county planners, claim local residents.

Villagers in Hurn say that the decision to allow mining in woods next to Avon Common will also create noise, dirt and traffic congestion on the A338 as well as reduce the area to a "blasted heath."

Permission for the mining for the firm Tarmac has taken five years after the original application was refused due to fears of flooding in and around the site and criticism of how the land would be restored.

English Nature and the Environment Agency were among those who objected to the original application but they have now withdrawn these after changes were made to the anti-flood and restoration plans.

Hurn parish and Christ-church councils also objected.

Parish councillor and former chairman, Ian Evans, lives very close to the new mining area.

"In Hurn we will now have two gravel extraction sites and a third in the pipeline.

"Hurn is simply being mined to extinction and people living here aren't happy at all.

"There should be just one extraction site at a time.

"Notwithstanding the issues of dirt, noise and huge gravel lorries and mining machines clanking away, this area is the green lung of the conurbation providing leisure for all the people living in Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch.

"This is now under threat. We will simple end up with a blasted heath."

Mining will take place over 35 hectares during the next ten years, with 1.8m tonnes of sand and gravel extracted.

It is proposed that the mining area will be infilled and heathland created.

Tarmac says that mining will only take place weekdays 7am to 5pm, and Saturdays 7am to 1pm.

County planners also gave permission to create a new access on to the A338 from the site.