On Tuesday we went to the Parish Council Meeting at Chilton.
Although Chilton is one of the smaller of the four parishes that comprise Waldingfield Ward it is fair to say that it seems to see more than its fair share of activity. The reason of course is that the parish’s position on the edge of Sudbury means that it suffers from above average pressure from the problems of the urban fringe.
Among other matters that were discussed was the car washing service that miraculously appeared overnight (without planning permission) at the back of Homebase, the prospect of a renewed application from Prolog for a large development at the edge of the town, speeding postmen along Churchfield Road and of course further developments with regard to the application to site a quarry at Chilton.
The latest news on the quarry is that Bretts Aggregates have changed their second application. They have reluctantly removed activities, such as waste sorting and bagging, that were not directly related to the extraction of gravel. This would reduce lorry movements by around 20 percent. They have also said that if this outstanding application is accepted, then they will withdraw from the appeal relating to the one refused by the County Council some months ago.
Tactically this could be said to put objectors in a difficult position. The first application, which is subject to appeal, is now considerably less attractive to those who live in the vicinity than the second. If allowed on appeal there would be more lorry movements than the revised scheme would allow, and it also does not include the roundabout which might, perhaps, alleviate some of the safety concerns on the A134. Bretts clearly hope that these latest concessions, plus the roundabout, will be enough of a compromise to reduce the level of opposition to the scheme.
So should Bretts have their way? My personal feeling is that the fight should go on despite the risk that the outcome could be worse if they do. Once permission has been granted for the site there is nothing to stop Bretts from seeking to reinstate the ancilliary activities at a later date. Additionally, we all know how difficult it is to police activities on industrial sites and to enforce breaches of planning conditions. As far as the roundabout is concerned, there is no guarantee that this will do much to improve safety on this particularly dangerous stretch of road.
