Wait for decision on woodland plan
CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save 81 acres of ancient wood- land in Barming are facing an anxious three-month wait. Following a lengthy public inquiry into proposals by Gal- lagher Aggregates to extend their Hermitage Quarry into Oaken Wood, opponents must wait until April or May for the Secretary of State’s decision. The Save Oaken Wood cam-
paign, backed by theWoodland Trust, refuted claims that restoration of the woodland would improve the habitat for the protected species which live there; they claim quarry blasting already unsettles the area and causes land tremors which affect local housing. Inspector Ian McPherson
heard evidence from a number of parties including the Wood- land Trust, Kent Wildlife Trust and KCC, during the three- week hearing and made a num- ber of site visits, which included listening to test blasts. Gallaghermaintain they need
to extend the quarry to recover more Kentish ragstone for restoration projects, as well as for new housing to blend in with the Kentish countryside. The inquiry followed an ap- proval of the extension in May 2011 by KCC, which is the area minerals planning authority.
The Hermitage Quarry is the
only remaining source of Ken- tish ragstone, which is used to restore some of the UK’s most important historic buildings, such as the Tower of London and Canterbury Cathedral. English Heritage supports the proposed extension, as does the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE). Other supporters include local MP Tracey Crouch, Rochester Cathedral, Rochester Castle and Westminster Abbey. The Gallagher case was pre- sented by a team of experts under the leadership of Andrew Tait QC, who said the quarry ex- tension would preserve more
than 100 jobs and skills for the next 20 years. Gallagher says the phased
work would only affect 14% of the woodland, all of which would be reinstated once quar- rying was complete. But opponents say ancient woodland can never be replaced and the exercise would jeopar- dise the habitats of creatures, in- cluding pipistrelle bats, dormice, reptiles and 37 species of bird, as well as plants, including those with a natural affinity to ancient woodland such as bluebell, wood anemone, pendulous sedge and wood melick. Nick Yandle, chief executive of Gallagher Group, said: “Evi-
WATER engineers have raised a glass to celebrate the completion of a £2 million service reservoir, which will help secure future water supplies for theMaidstone, Larkfield and Aylesford areas. South East Water began construction in Her- mitage Lane during July 2011, next to one of the company’s existing reservoirs. The new tank can store 10 million litres of water, enough to fill 100,000 baths. Now complete, the reservoir effectively doubles
the amount of treated drinking water storage available to supply the area’s 21,500 customers. Joe Yip, delivery manager at South EastWater,
said: “This reservoir was essential to ensure we can continue to supply clean, safe running water to Aylesford,Maidstone and Larkfield.”
Project manager Paul Beaumont (right) and construction engineer,Mike James
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dence covered the absence of suitable alternative sites and the ecological implications includ- ing doubling the woodland foot- print, the extensive planting of native species trees and the woodland management plan.” Christina Byrne, Woodland
Trust case officer, said: “Oaken Wood is an irreplaceable an- cient woodland. If this applica- tion is granted, it would be a catastrophic loss for nationally important wildlife.” Ancient woodland covers just
2.4% of the UK and is the coun- try’s richest terrestrial wildlife habitat. Surveys by Kent Wildlife Trust confirm Oaken Wood is of county significance.
Reservoir ensures supply of clean water
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