To help clarify the position, Linden Kemkaran, Leader of KCC, sets out exactly what members agreed and what the decision means.
“The key fact is that Full Council did not vote to approve quarrying.”
Linden Kemkaran, Leader of KCC said:
"The key fact is that Full Council did not vote to approve quarrying. The decision was to submit the Kent Mineral Sites Plan for independent examination by the Government's Planning Inspectorate.
‘No planning permission has been granted, no quarry extension has been approved and no permission has been given for mineral extraction to begin.
‘I recognise that many people feel strongly about these proposals, particularly where concerns have been raised about ancient woodland and the local environment. Those concerns have been heard and they will form part of the independent examination process.
‘The purpose of that process is to ensure all of the evidence can be tested openly and transparently, including environmental impacts, local concerns and the need for minerals in Kent, the South East and London.
‘There will be a further opportunity for residents and interested parties to have their say through the upcoming six-week consultation this summer. People are entitled to support the proposal, oppose it or remain undecided. What matters is that the debate is based on the facts.
‘To repeat: the fact is that KCC did not vote to approve quarrying. The decision taken was to submit the Kent Mineral Sites Plan to the Planning Inspectorate for independent examination so that the evidence can be tested openly and transparently before any conclusions are reached.”
The decision taken by members was not a decision on a planning application. It was a decision to allow the government’s Planning Inspector to examine the Plan and all of the evidence that has been gathered to inform it.
That evidence includes the need for minerals in Kent, the availability of alternative sites, environmental impacts and concerns raised by local residents, community groups and other stakeholders.
The proposed allocation at Hermitage Quarry raises two important national planning considerations. One is the need to maintain an adequate and steady supply of minerals to support construction and community infrastructure. The other is the protection of ancient woodland and the wider environment.
As just described, it is important to understand that inclusion in the Kent Mineral Sites Plan is not planning permission. No planning permission has been granted.
Even if a site is included within the Plan following examination, any future quarry extension would still require:
- a separate planning application supported by detailed environmental assessments
- further public consultation as part of the determination of a planning application
- consideration of representations from residents and stakeholders
- a separate planning decision based on the evidence presented.
Again to reiterate, there will also be a further six-week consultation before the Mineral Sites Plan is submitted to the Planning Inspectorate, giving residents and interested parties another opportunity to make their views formally known. If submitted during that six-week window, those comments will be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate and considered as part of the independent examination.
