Controversial plans for a sand and gravel quarry on the site of the former Hatfield Aerodrome are to be considered by a Planning Inquiry – after an appeal was lodged against their refusal.
The application to extract around eight million tonnes of material from the site was turned down by Hertfordshire County Council earlier this year.
But now – almost six months after the formal refusal – an appeal has been lodged with the Planning Inspectorate, and a Planning Inquiry scheduled for November.
The November hearing will be the second time that plans for the site – which sits between Ellenbrook and Smallford – have been subject to a Planning Inquiry.
In 2021, Brett Aggregates challenged the refusal of an earlier application for a quarry on the same site – and were unsuccessful.
The latest application – also submitted by Brett Aggregates – seeks permission to extract material over 32 years and to bring in ‘inert waste’ to re-instate ground levels.
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It includes plans for a new access on to the A1057, an aggregate processing plant and other facilities.
But, unlike the previous application, it does not include a ‘concrete batching plant’.
The application seeks permission for work on the site between 7am and 6pm Monday to Friday and 7am to 1pm on Saturdays – with up to 174 HGV movements a day.
And it includes plans for a phased approach – meaning areas of the site would be accessible to ramblers, dog walkers and others throughout the 32 year period.
In refusing the application, Hertfordshire County Council had highlighted eight reasons, which focussed on the impact on the Green Belt, heritage, residential amenity, landscape character, biodiversity, public access, the highway and groundwater.
Commenting on the appeal against the refusal, a spokesperson for the council said: “A decision to refuse planning permission for a quarry at the site of the former Hatfield Aerodrome was made by the county council’s Development Control Committee and an appeal has now been lodged with the Planning Inspectorate.
“In due course we will be presenting our outline of the case to the Planning Inspectorate in accordance with their timetable by 6 August.
“The Inquiry is scheduled to start on November 19 and programmed to last for 10 days.”
The last Planning Inquiry that considered the previous application for a quarry on the former Hatfield Aerodrome site was held in November 2021, with the Inspector publishing his decision in January 2022.
Council officers have previously described the latest application as being “substantially similar” to the first.
Brett Aggregates have been approached by the Local Democracy Reporting Service – but have not yet commented on the appeal.
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