WAGE – Wootton/Whippingham Against Gravel Extraction held their first official meeting this week at Lakeside Park Hotel, Wootton Bridge.
The campaign group has been formed in response to the proposal from Wight Building Materials (WBM) to excavate nearly a million tons of gravel from the rural location of Palmers Farm.
Responding to WBM’s recent press release Bob Holt, Chairman of WAGE described it as little more than PR spin. He said,
“This proposal by Wight Building Materials suggests that it will safeguard untold numbers of jobs. In reality there will only be two people working on the site itself.
“All other jobs would be secure and in fact if sea dredging was used then even more jobs would be created in the supply chain.
“St George’s Down does not only process gravel, it supplies the Island with tarmac and many other products none of which are affected by this proposal.”
Holt: Big impact on the flora and fauna of scientifically important area
Regarding Palmers Farm Bob said WAGE have severe concerns regarding the site’s location.
“It is in the wrong place, there is no good access route. The suggestion that Brocks Copse Road, even if substantial modifications are feasible, can handle 50 lorries a day for ten years is absurd, neither is using Palmers Road possible.
“After Brocks Copse the lorries are supposed to head back into Wootton to turn at the Cedars onto Station Road. That is madness and will cause severe disruption at one of the busiest and least safe Island junctions.
“You cannot widen Brocks Copse because the area is abundant with wildlife. The habitat for badgers, bats, squirrels, invertebrates, mice and other rodents cover the road and farm, but apparently WBM are somehow going to evict them for ten years. Perhaps they will do it by text message?
“In all seriousness this is a large site and the disruption will have a big impact on the flora and fauna of this scientifically important area.”
WAGE have also questioned the need for this site to be developed.
“By their own admission Palmers Farm is only ‘one’ of the deposits available. We suggest they look at other less impractical areas first.”
Holt: Burton seemed out of his depth
Bob was also present at the public meeting where WBM first showed its plans to what has been described as an incredulous audience. He said,
“Nobody could believe it.
“Resident after resident got up to challenge Steve Burton on the details, but he had few answers, he seemed out of his depth. The idea that they are ‘consulting’ locally is a sham, they are not listening at all.
“They couldn’t even be bothered to take notes during their meeting. Steve Burton says that WBM are bringing people with them, I would say it was more like taking people for a ride.”
Pitcher: Instantly obvious how disruptive this would be
Local member Cllr Daryll Pitcher also weighed in on the debate,
“I was shown these plans soon after being elected in May. It was instantly obvious how disruptive this would be and how impractical the access issues are and I pushed for a public meeting to take place. I am very concerned about the highways issue.
“Island Roads acts as the advisor to the Isle of Wight Council on Highways matters for planning, but they are owned by the same company (Vinci) as Wight Building Materials. I have written to the Council’s Chief Executive to ask him to ensure that this is handled in a transparent and impartial way.
“I do not want the Isle of Wight Council to suffer reputational damage due to a conflict of interest.”
WAGE can be contacted via their Website.
News shared by Daryll, in his own words, on behalf of WAGE. Ed
Image: Jonny Caspari under CC BY 2.0
