The Solent Way
THE Solent Way between Warsash and Hill Head, a popular running route for many Stubby runners is under the threat.
More than 700 people packed into Brookfield Community School on Saturday evening as plans were outlined by Hampshire County Council to dig up millions of tonnes of sand and gravel from a beauty spot.
One of the sites being looked at is the nearby Chilling and Brownwich farm estates in Warsash, which county officers say could provide eight million tonnes of gravel and aggregates.
Stubbington Green’s Nick Crane was one of those who attended the meeting, and he is outraged at the plan.
“It was a very noisy meeting,” said Nick. “This is an area I often run in and I am sure there are many Stubbies who run in the Brownwich Chilling Farm area who would be affected.”
Hampshire County Council has got to come up with a list of sites that could produce 2.63 million tonnes of minerals every year until 2016.
However, residents claim turning the area into a quarry will ruin the environment and add thousands of lorry journeys onto the roads.
But the hall only had space for 300 seats, and as dozens more packed around the edge, hundreds more were stuck outside in the cold.
A decision was made to cut the meeting into two seatings to let everyone have their say.
The Campaign against Mineral Extraction and Landfill from the Solent was set up by a small group of concerned residents, and they organised the meeting.
Co-founder Mike Wilkes said: “This meeting was a bit of a gamble, but the turnout has been absolutely brilliant. The important thing now is that these people make sure their objections are known.”
The deadline for comments to the council is January 15, and those comments should be sent to: geoff.hockley@hants.gov.uk Nick Crane is among those who has already registered his objection to County Hall. In his letter, Nick says:
I would like to raise my very strong objections to the proposal to extract gravel from the land adjacent to the cliff between Solent Breezes Chilling Barn and Meon including Brownwich on the following grounds.
1. This section of land is one of the only strips of countryside - clifftop that has not been developed on between Portsmouth and Southampton.
2. This area is used by many local residents for walking, running, horse riding, walking dogs.
3. The extraction of gravel will disturb the natural habitat including many roe deer, migrating birds, and the local badger sets. The noise will have an effect on the habitat at Brownwich Lake and Titchfield Haven nature reserve which is adjacent including the migrating bird population.
4 The area is picturesque with a wonderful view of the Solent this will be destroyed by the visual impact of the proposed extraction.
5 If the area is used, it was stated it will not be infilled but will be left as intertidal and wet land areas and will be turned back to public use in 20 years time !!! In other words the extraction will have a severe impact on the area for a very long time.
6 The land includes major paths ie the Solent Way and bridle ways and access to the coast.
7 It was stated the extraction will equate to 1 million lorries over 20 years, ie 50,000 per year, 137 per day, 17 per hour (8 hr day 7 days a week) ie: one every 3.5 mins. The roads in Locks Heath, Warsash, Titchfield Common and Park Gate are already seriously overloaded at times due to the lack of proper infrastructure during the continous development in the area. I am very concerned on the effects of the noise and the increase in heavy traffic.
8 The plan totally contravenes Hampshire County Councils written statement they made when they purchased this land to ensure it would be available and safeguarded for public recreational use and to prevent any future mineral extraction from this site.
9 Gravel extraction could have a severe impact on the stability of the cliffs adjacent.
10 It is surely more cost effective to extend an existing site like Hound at Netley. Or extract from a site like Hamble Airfield or Daedalus with minimal effect on residents as these sites are currently not open for public use.
To find out more about the gravel plan log onto: www.camelsolent.org.uk
PLEASE DO NOT SPOIL OUR ONE REMAINING SECTION OF LOCAL COASTAL GREENSPACE IN THIS AREA.
I am also very concerned on the lack of information given to the local public about this proposed extraction. I only found out by chance reading a tiny poster on a bridle way post. Considering the major effects this proposal could have on the local population I consider both Hampshire County Council and Fareham Borough Council have a duty to keep people informed.”
How to comment
To comment via e-mail send to planning.policy@hants.gov.uk and copy to geoff.hockley@hants.gov.uk (Councillor) and developmentcontrol@fareham.gov.uk (Fareham Borough Council). Use reference pAPA4.
If you want to include Mark Hoban (the MP for the area) his e-mail is mail@markhoban.com
To comment on line go to http://consultation.limehouse.co.uk/hants/drafts/15/section_45.html then scroll down to the section headed 'Chilling and Brownwich Farms, Warsash and then click on 'Add@ to make your comment.
To comment in writing the address is Planning and Development, Environment Dept, Hampshire County Council, Ashburton Court West, The Castle, Winchester SO23 8UD