Hertfordshire County Council has signalled its intent to defend its refusal to grant permission for a quarry on the site of the former Hatfield Aerodrome – despite a previous appeal costing it almost £150,000.

Brett Aggregates lodged an appeal against the council’s refusal to grant planning permission for its latest application earlier this month.

A 10-day Planning Inquiry has already been scheduled for November – where a Planning Inspector will review the decision issued by the council, in January.

And that comes just three years after the county council defended its refusal of “substantially similar” plans for the same site at a previous inquiry.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service has now learned that costs incurred by the county council during that last inquiry, in November 2021, amounted to £147,421.84.

Nevertheless – despite those significant costs – council officials have signalled that they intend to defend their refusal of the latest application for a quarry on the site  – which sits between Smallford and Ellenbrook – at the November hearing.

“When permission was refused previously the council defended its position when the matter was brought before the Planning Inspectorate,” said a spokesperson for the county council.

“And we intend to defend our decision again when the latest appeal is heard later this year.

“We believe it is essential that future development within the county is done with our obligations, the existing environment and local people in mind.”

The controversial application seeks permission to extract eight million tonnes of sand and gravel from the site over a 32-year period, as well as bringing in ‘inert waste’ to re-instate ground levels.

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’.

It 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.

Commenting on the application, Local Liberal Democrat county councillor John Hale suggests there are already too many quarries in the area – and that residents will continue to object.

“The news that Brett Aggregates have lodged an appeal will not come as a surprise to residents, but it is disappointing,” he said.

And he added: “The site is a public park, which over the two decades has become a home to much wildlife. A quarry would destroy that park and the wildlife for the next 40 years.

“Since the first application more homes have been built in the area and there is a concern about the impact the quarry would have on air quality.

“This part of Hertfordshire already has many quarries – it does not need another one.”

Meanwhile Liberal Democrat county councillor Paul Zukowskyj points to the ecological impact the quarry would have on this unique landscape of the site, as well as the impact of the operation on residents.

And Cllr Zukowskyj, who is also a member of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, says he will be pushing the county council to “robustly defend” the decision of the development control committee at the appeal.