Hazardous waste site unanimously refused

A much-anticipated decision about the outcome of Chew Valley, a quarry near Bristol, was met two days ago.

Proposals had been put forward by Applicant Oaktree Environmental to use the space as a hazardous waste site.

The group had plans to use the space as a storage site for 645,000 tonnes of stable non-reactive hazardous waste.

However, the plans of the group were met with huge fear and opposition from the community of Chew Valley.

Objectors formed the Stop Stowey Quarry Action Group to voice their concerns about the proposal.

Their main concern was the planned storage of asbestos. Were the particles to reach the nearby Chew Valley Lake, they may cause cancer to the drinker.

Chew Valley Lake provides the majority of water for Bristol and North Somerset, so the consequences could have been severe.

Another worry of the Stop Stowey Quarry Action Group was the potential noise and pollution that would arise from an increase in lorries around the area, delivering and dumping the waste to the site.

The perseverance of the committee has already been proved, as they managed to evoke the granted application which was accepted in July last year.

Continual petitions and persistence saw the committee agreeing to review the case again.

The final decision was met on Wednesday by councillors on Bath and North East Somerset council's development control committee - with a unanimous refusal.

Relief among campaigners was so great that they took to cheering and clapping as the decision was made at a meeting at the Guildhall, Bath.

Campaigner Lucy Pover told the Bristol Post: "We are really pleased – it's a fantastic result for us, especially because it was a unanimous decision.

"I would like to thank everyone for the amount of support the campaign has had. As well as a petition with more than 4,000 signatures, nine parish councils and four MPs had also supported us in objecting to the application."

Posted by Claire Manning