Residents Against Gravel Extraction

RAGE is an ‘umbrella’ organisation opposed to inappropriate gravel and sand quarrying in the North-West Surrey Area.

It represents the mineral concerns of members of:

• the Egham Residents’ Association,:
• Stroude Residents’ Association
• Thorpe Ward Residents’ Association.

There are no personal members.

It has two main functions:

• to endeavour to inform local residents of planning applications for quarrying sand and gravel
• to present, at the appropriate time, a coherent response from residents to Surrey County Council (SCC = the Mineral Planning Authority).

It is not a substitute for individual written objections from residents. There are two areas of deep concern at the moment:

• Milton Park Farm
  • Planning Applications Awaiting Decision
  • Application Number: RU.24/0838
  • Proposal: County Matter: EIA Scoping Opinion for Mineral extraction together with the erection of processing plant and associated ancillary infrastructure, mineral
• Whitehall Farm

Although these potential working sites may seem to be far from your house, they could nevertheless affect you.

A GRAVEL PIT ON YOUR DOORSTEP?

(1) Hanson Aggregates UK Limited submitted a planning application to SCC in 2009 for permission to dig 2.4 million tonnes of sand and gravel from Milton Park Farm.

This is a huge site of 57 hectares (141 acres) bounded by:

• Manorcroft Road
• the M25 Motorway
• Stroude Road
• Whitehall Lane

It would stretch from Manorcroft Primary School and the Egham Bowls Club to beyond Great Fosters and the former Research Laboratories of Procter & Gamble (recently acquired by Royal Holloway University of London for student accommodation).

It is estimated that there would be 230 – 280 heavy goods vehicle (HGV) movements per day during an operation lasting 10 – 15 years or more.

This planning application has reference numbers:

• For Surrey County Council - SCC Ref 2009/0015
• For Runnymede Borough Council - RU.09/0299
  • RBC objected to this as of 03-10-2013
• Application Type - Full application - Minerals/Waste
• Status Under consideration (as of 7th October 2024)

(2) In April 2021, CEMEX submitted a planning application to SCC to quarry, approximately 1 million tonnes of sand and gravel from Whitehall Farm. This area shares a common border with Milton Park Farm (to the North) and is bounded to the West by the railway line and to the East by the rear gardens of residential properties in Stroude Road and Luddington Avenue. These two proposals are separate: the one does not depend for access upon the other. It is estimated that there would be 156 HGV movements per day for approximately 7 years.

The Surrey County Council Minerals Plan states that these two sites should not be worked simultaneously. If granted permission, Hanson proposes to work Milton Park Farm in a ‘dry’ operation; whereas CEMEX would quarry Whitehall Farm ‘wet’. Dry working involves inserting an impermeable clay perimeter wall around the site and pumping water out. This wall would not only dam the flow of groundwater but also it could deny a large storage volume for floodwater to go in times of flood, leading to a potential increase in flood risk to local properties. Wet working doesn’t exhibit these disadvantages, and it would produce less dust and airborne particulate matter – a hazard to human health.

Increased HGV traffic could affect residential properties in Vicarage Road, The Avenue, Thorpe Lea Road and their various side-roads. Longer queues might be experienced at the Pooley Green level crossing. Noise and vibration are also aspects of grave concern. There could also be visual intrusion in the Green Belt and surrounding historic buildings and gardens.

To register your comments on this application, please email Surrey County Council at mwcd@surreycc.gov.uk, quoting reference SCC Ref 2021/0023, OR write to Sian Saadeh, Planning Development Manager (ref. RU.21/0597), Surrey County Council, Planning Group, PO Box 478, Reigate RH2 8EF. In either case you must give your name and address.