This meeting will see the committee consider two planning applications, both at Addlestone Quarry, on the border of Runnymede and Elmbridge Borough Councils. In both cases, the committee will be asked to vary previously imposed planning conditions.

Continued extraction of sand and gravel and importation of inert waste

The committee are being asked to consider the application by Cappagh Public Works Ltd. to extend the operational timescales at Addlestone Quarry to allow for the completion of restoration works by 31 December 2029.

The quarry is located in the Metropolitan Green Belt, and has been operational since the 1990s. The report pack explains that the quarry has struggled to compete with other sites locally that accept a broader range of inert materials, due to the restrictions on the types of materials that Addlestone Quarry is allowed to accept under its current Environment Agency permit. The officers report notes that:

over recent years, the quarry has struggled to compete with several other filling sites (including golf courses, bunds, land raising and driving ranges) within the immediate and surrounding areas. It is stated that these sites have attracted greater volumes of waste (inert materials) due to competitive gate fees and less stringent EA permitting requirements.

The report also notes that the Covid19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the suspension of the HS2 project have also led to slower rates of infill than had previously been anticipated.

21 local residents have objected to the proposal, and the New Haw Residents' Association have also objected. They raise concerns about the impact on the public highways, road safety, air and noise pollution, and the previous alleged non-compliance with planning conditions. The report pack notes that while any matters relating to enforcement are separate from the consideration of this application:

any new permission granted under this application would form the basis for addressing any non-compliance with conditions as arising.

In addition to the objections from residents, Network Rail has also raised a holding objection, regarding the potential for the development to impact their network.

The committee will be asked to vary the previously imposed planning conditions to reflect the amended restoration plan, and the new deadline of 31 December 2029.

Retention of an existing aggregate recycling plant

The committee will also be asked to consider a proposal by Cappagh Public Works Ltd. to vary the previously imposed conditions on the permission for their aggregate recycling facility (AFR) at Addlestone Quarry, to allow it to remain operational until 31 December 2029, and to retain an existing soil bund.

The facility, which recycles construction, demolition and excavation waste, was originally granted permission in 2017, with a condition that it be decommissioned and the land restored by 31 December 2020. The report pack notes that:

The applicant proposes to continue to link the ARF permission to the end date of the quarry permission (pending application ref: RU21/0115), which is stated as 31 December 2029.

The proposal would allow the facility to continue producing recycled aggregate for use locally and nationally, as well as providing 25,000 tonnes of infilling materials each year for use in restoring the wider quarry site.

17 local residents have objected to the proposal, raising concerns about damage to the highways, noise and air pollution, the impact on the green belt, and alleged previous non-compliance with planning conditions. The report pack notes that:

any new permission granted under this application would form the basis for addressing any non-compliance with conditions as arising

The committee will be asked to vary the previously imposed planning conditions to reflect the amended restoration plan, and to allow for the retention of the soil bund. They will also be asked to extend the deadline for decommissioning the facility to 31 December 2029.