County council planners have refused a new scheme for a quarry near Wallingford. 

London Rock Supplies Ltd had applied for the quarry at White Cross Farm, which included new site access roads, landscaping and screening bunds as well as extraction and processing of sand and gravel. 

A total of 351 comments were received, with just one of them in support. 

The decision was made by Oxfordshire County Council's planning and regulation committee early last month. 

In a report to Wallingford Town Council Dr Pete Sudbury, who represents the Wallingford division on the county council, said: “I was very surprised to see our officers recommending approval, not least because mineral extraction is in my cabinet portfolio and I had not been briefed on this change of policy, or the background to it: had I been briefed (as should have happened), I would not have agreed, because encouraging the "casino capitalism" of speculative development is not anything anyone would want. 

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Dr Pete Sudbury (Image: Contributed) “I also have concerns that highways officers are too relaxed about putting extra traffic onto the most crowded sections of the bypass.

"I spoke against the proposal at the planning meeting, and following an intelligent and sensible debate, it was rejected.”

At the planning meeting, Dr Sudbury said he objected due to the level of flooding that occurs every winter on the site and the impact on the local road network, which was already very congested due to its proximity to the main route from Didcot to Reading.

He also drew attention to the objections raised by the council’s landscape officer and officers at South Oxfordshire District Council. He highlighted concerns regarding the lack of communication provided to those affected by this new site. 

The applicant's agent Simon Rees, director of Greenfield Environment, spoke to the committee in support.

In the minutes of the meeting, it said he: “Highlighted the NPPF’s positive approach to development and approving an application which accords with the development plan without delay, and that a plan should be in place for a steady and adequate supply of aggregates by maintaining landbanks of at least seven years for sand and gravel and ensure that large land banks bound up in very few sites do not stifle competition. 

“He also highlighted the low-level environmental impact as indicated by the consultation responses received, especially those from the Environment Agency.”

The committee decided to refuse the application on the grounds of it having an adverse impact on the River Thames, the Thames Path National Trail and on the setting of the Chilterns National Landscape.