Demand to Hertfordshire County Council to update the information and recommendations the Planning Committee will hear in regard to the old Hatfield Quarry Application

I​​ present this petition​​ on behalf of the​​ 

Ellenbrook Area Residents​​ Association​​ 

a non-political organisation​​ 

that has been in existence for​​ over​​ 25​​ years.​​ 

All​​ our submissions are circulated to the residents​​ 

for their comments to ensure​​ 

we represent their​​ views.​​ 

We are supported in this petition by both​​ 

Marshalswick North and​​ 

Smallford Residents Associations.

We believe that important council decisions​​ 

such as the application​​ to quarry the old Hatfield Aerodrome​​ 

should be supported​​ 

• with accurate​​ 

• up to date​​ and​​ 

• independently validated​​ information. ​​ 

When informed that this application​​ to quarry​​ may be heard today we checked the planning portal and could not find​​ 

• an updated traffic survey​​ 

• flood risk document and still no Health Impact Assessment in existence.

The​​ traffic flow​​ 

has greatly​​ increased​​ since​​ the existing​​ 2014​​ survey​​ 

and the flood risk​​ assessment​​ 

does not take into account new and proposed housing developments close by which will remove​​ 

a significant amount of​​ the​​ porous​​ land in the surrounding area.​​ 

Air quality,​​ 

especially for the children walking to school,​​ 

from​​ increased​​ particulates​​ due to​​ idling engines​​ 

has not been​​ re-evaluated​​ currently,​​ 

yet alone​​ modelled​​ with the extra traffic that will be present​​ 

as and when the following​​ developments impact,

Therefore, the information we understand

​​ being used to make recommendations to you​​ 

and on which you will be asked to decide​​ this application

is​​ out of date.​​ ​​ 

Since 2014-16​​ when the initial work​​ by planning​​ 

was carried out,​​ huge​​ changes​​ 

have occurred​​ in this​​ small and localised area​​ 

of St Albans and Hatfield​​ which​​ were​​ not part

​​ of the information considered​​ 

during the DCC​​ hearing​​ back​​ in Jan 2017.​​ 

these​​ numerous Developments either​​ 

• recently completed,​​ 

• currently under construction,​​ 

• proposed in local plans or​​ 

• have submitted planning applications.​​ ​​ 

•  

• All​​ use the​​ A1057​​ 

• a​​ single carriage road

• and​​ the​​ surrounding roads​​ that​​ border​​ 

• St Albans and Hatfield,​​ in and around​​ 

• the​​ Smallford and Ellenbrook​​ Area’s,​​ 

• and Include

Housing

• The Sandpit Lane development,​​ 

• Development on the playing fields of Beaumont School,​​ 

• A completed development at Ellenbrook Meadows,

• The redevelopment and expansion of the Comet Hotel​​ including more student accommodation

​​ Commercial Developments​​ these include the​​ Further expansion of

• the Hatfield Business Park,​​       

with​​ several​​ newly constructed buildings and new businesses including​​ 

• • a private hospital,​​ 

  • Range Rover/Jaguar/McLaren car site,​​ 

• Glinwells in Smallford, including more greenhouses

  • ​​ increasing production and capacity resulting in​​ 

  • more staff​​ and HGV​​ movements​​ on the A1057,​​ 

  • and now a Farm Shop which has bought new traffic from customers all day​​ long.

• Pearce recycling,     

  • we now get huge dumper trucks​​ 

  • going back and forwards all day long,​​  

  • this has significantly increased​​ HGV traffic​​ on this single carriage road.

• Cemex​​ -​​ ​​ 

  • several​​ additional quarries​​ in this small​​ location,​​ 

  • all which are served by the current site and​​ 

  • its entrance in Oaklands Lane​​ and onto the A1057

Proposed developments in Local plans or

​​ with planning applications submitted​​ 

• Stanboroughbury

• Symondshyde

• Ellenbrook Fields

All of these developments surround the site of the​​ 

proposed quarry by Bretts Aggregates and​​ 

further​​ impact upon the infrastructure of the area.​​ 

It should be​​ noted​​ that the​​ recent​​ 

A414 Corridor​​ Consultation​​ Document

acknowledged​​ that this part of the A1057

​​ is heavily congested and​​ is at or near capacity,​​ 

• without​​ taking into account​​ the​​ huge​​ increase of​​ both HGV, LGV and domestic​​ traffic from the​​ developments​​ I’ve mentioned,​​ 

• This does not sit with the sustainable transport policy

Another major concern for residents is the bromate plume on the Aerodrome site.​​ 

This,​​ 

• The​​ largest chemical spillage​​ in Europe,​​ 

• poses a real and serious threat to our​​ drinking water supplies,​​ ​​ 

• has closed the Hatfield water pumping station

As you​​ no doubt​​ already know​​ for​​ the​​ past​​ 10 years​​  ​​​​ a remedial plan by the EA has tried to remove the Bromate from the water course,​​ 

so far,​​ these​​ efforts have failed​​ 

to realise any significant reduction​​ 

in the amount of this carcinogen​​ being​​ detected,​​ 

now​​ the​​ bromate​​ plume​​ threatens other water pumping stations in this area.

Following a​​ recent​​ EA​​ consultation​​ there is​​ ongoing​​ work to create​​ a new remedial plan,​​ which we were asked and have, contributed to.​​ 

This should be allowed to report back before any decisions are made on​​ this​​ land​​ affected by the​​ plume.​​ 

The EA’s own work shows​​ that the bromate plume has now contaminated​​ part of the​​ proposed dig site,​​ 

yet the​​ Water​​ management plan​​ from the applicant​​ does not include current​​ water​​ bore hole​​ data,​​ 

This has been requested​​ of them​​ since​​ 

December 2018​​ 

yet not provided​​ to us or the EA.​​ 

The onus must be on the applicants​​ 

to prove it is not​​ now​​ contaminated​​ land,​​ 

yet you are expected to make decisions​​ 

without this information being made​​ 

available and​​ public.​​ 

We are asking you the Councillors to insist that the​​ 

• planning office, and ​​ 

• the relevant agencies including​​ the Environment​​ Agency and Highways​​ 

all prepare their recommendations to DCC on the true current position.

This will empower​​ you,​​ 

the members of the​​ DCC,​​ 

who are elected to​​ 

represent and to act​​ 

in​​ the interests​​ 

of Hertfordshire and all its​​ residents,​​ 

to make a​​ well-informed​​ decision in relation to the Brett Aggregates application​​ 

Residents feel very strongly about this application​​ 

and are passionate about the preservation of​​ 

this area and​​ 

the impact this development will have on the health and well-being of residents.​​ 

161 signatures were obtained in a matter of days in order to present this petition demonstrating the strength of feeling in the area.

We ask you to seriously consider our petition and act accordingly.

Thank you