Plans for quarry near Fordingbridge move forward despite concerns

Fordingbridge: So, Cemex is pushing ahead with plans for a new quarry at Midgham Farm, just outside Fordingbridge. They’ve sent a planning application to both Hampshire and Dorset councils to dig up sand and gravel.

Most of the land is in Hampshire, but a small part is in Dorset. The site is pretty big, about 88.53 hectares, and it’s not far from their current Hamer Warren Quarry. That one is set to close in a few years, so they want to keep things rolling with this new site.

If they get the green light, they plan to extract around 3.6 million tonnes of materials over 15 years. That’s a lot of sand and gravel! They’ll also set up roads, a processing plant, and other facilities. Once they’re done digging, they promise to restore the land for farming and nature.

The quarry would operate Monday to Friday, with some Saturday hours. They expect around 90 lorry trips a day, which has raised eyebrows in the community.

Cemex has been trying to engage with locals, holding public consultations and meetings with local officials. They’ve received about 100 responses, with many folks worried about traffic, noise, and the impact on wildlife.

The public consultation is open until February 28, so there’s still time for people to voice their opinions. If you want to chime in, you can do so on the Hampshire County Council’s website.