Wait continues for decision over plans to extract sand and gravel from Hamble Airfield

Plans to develop a quarry in the former Hamble Airfield were submitted to Hampshire County Council in December 2021. A public consultation saw more than 2,000 residents, health centres, schools and the borough council object to the plan.

According to developer Cemex, an area of 60.4 hectares – equivalent to 84 football pitches – would extract 1.7 million tons of sand and gravel, approximately 250,000 tons a year. The project will last seven years and would have an economic impact of ‘thousands of pounds in business rates annually’, the company indicated in its planning and economic impact statement.

However, in an open letter, Hamble Peninsular Residents Group said the decision date “is dragging out – it has been poised for a regulatory committee meeting every month since March and has been constantly delayed due to insufficient information”.

They added: “It has now been delayed again from the July meeting due to the recent late submission by Hampshire Highways Authority (HHA) – revealing their negotiations with Cemex.”

Although the County Council indicated at the beginning of the year that the planning application would “be considered later in the year”, now officials say the council is “hoping” to be able to do so by the end of the year.

A Hampshire County Council spokesperson said: “A date has not yet been set for the consideration of the planning application for a new quarry at Hamble Airfield by the Regulatory Committee.

“Before the proposals can be heard, the County Council must complete detailed work to process the application in its capacity as the Minerals Planning Authority. We hope this process will be completed by the end of the year.”

Leader of Eastleigh Borough Council, Cllr Keith House, posted on his social media that Cemex’s gravel plan for Hamble Airfield “will not go to the County Council’s Planning Committee before September, due to outstanding issues with the application still needing to be considered by planners”.

If plans go ahead, the quarry would be located less than 70 metres from homes and within 160 metres of two schools, which residents say could be detrimental to children’s health.

In March, Eastleigh MP Paul Holmes raised a planning bill in the House of Commons calling for more measures to limit the number of quarries near settlements. The proposed legislation calls on the Government to introduce a presumption that quarries will not be granted planning permission close to homes. His bill would also require the environmental and health risks of proposed sites to be assessed with applications only able to be approved by the secretary of state.