New MP criticises Hampshire's gravel extraction plan (From Daily Echo)
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New MP criticises Hampshire's gravel extraction plan
3:00pm Saturday 16th March 2013 in News
By Emma Streatfield, Senior Reporter
Eastleigh MP Mike Thornton
EASTLEIGH MP Mike Thornton has criticised a plan for gravel extraction, describing it as “deeply flawed”.
Mr Thornton’s comments came on the final day of the latest hearing into Hampshire County Council’s Minerals and Waste Plan.
He said that the relaxed restrictions and controls on development of new sites not in the plan would put more countryside at risk by making it easier for developers to bring forward more land for extraction.
Mr Thornton said: “Far from protecting our green spaces, if the plan is allowed to go forward like this, it will have completely failed to protect our countryside from more gravel pits.”
The plan, which is a blueprint for the county's mineral needs for the next 20 years, was subject to a planning hearing by a Government appointed inspector last year, but the latest hearing, at which Mr Thornton has also spoken, heard responses to proposed changes.
One of the sites in the controversial plan is Hamble Airfield, which is in Mr Thornton's constituency.
Cllr Mel Kendal, deputy leader and executive member for environment and transport at Hampshire County Council, argued that the plan had undergone meticulous preparation by the five minerals and waste planning authorities and scrutiny by a Government-appointed inspector.
Comments(5)
ohec
says...
4:01pm Sat 16 Mar 13
derek james
says...
8:54pm Sat 16 Mar 13
ohec
says...
9:46am Sun 17 Mar 13
derek james wrote:Perhaps if you stopped watching so much TV and got out a bit you would realise that mineral extraction takes place all over the country in one form or another, all of these minerals tend to be very heavy which means transport costs are very high relative to the cost of the product so transporting them long distances is not really viable or desirable.
watching the "coast" programme a couple of years ago between all the grovelling to just about every cause you could think of about gb's imperial past there was a piece about geavel extraction taking place from resources in the bristol channel which are 12% exhausted at that time, surely it would be sensible to use them up first, i realise they are from salt water but even so i'm sure it's not too much work to "rinse"
southy
says...
11:26am Sun 17 Mar 13
ohec wrote:To much Gravel as been removed from our country side, its affected the ground water table (gravel beds hold a large amount of drinking water, take that gravel away and you lose drinking water), and is the main reason why we have dry river beds the gravel been removed that use to feed the river, and is 1 off the reason why there is floods the rain water have no where to go quick enough.
derek james wrote:Perhaps if you stopped watching so much TV and got out a bit you would realise that mineral extraction takes place all over the country in one form or another, all of these minerals tend to be very heavy which means transport costs are very high relative to the cost of the product so transporting them long distances is not really viable or desirable.
watching the "coast" programme a couple of years ago between all the grovelling to just about every cause you could think of about gb's imperial past there was a piece about geavel extraction taking place from resources in the bristol channel which are 12% exhausted at that time, surely it would be sensible to use them up first, i realise they are from salt water but even so i'm sure it's not too much work to "rinse"
The English channel contains a 1000's years supply of gravel where it is slowly being push back up the channel from the Celtic sea, this gravel in the Celtic sea was deposited there during the hight of the ice age and as only just being push back up the channel in the last 1000 years and most of it endding up at Dungeness point.
bazzeroz says...
3:44pm Sat 16 Mar 13
Stop sitting on your fat arses and feeding from the cash trough like all the MP's. Help your voters with IMPORTANT matters. CaMORON, you're alliance leader and Ian Dun-nuffink Smith are going to kill people with this evil, vile benefit TAX.