Campaigners' delight as marina 'quarry' is halted

MHJ Land & Water Limited, the firm behind the proposals, has announced they will no longer pursue proposals for the 'extraction of sand and gravel' at the 22-acre site.

Villagers in Swindon, South Staffordshire, feared the scheme would bring noisy vehicles and diesel fumes to the heart of their community and dozens attended a protest last month. Today they welcomed the decision.

Campaigner Malcolm Rudge, who has lived in the village for 29 years, said: "The plans for the quarry were rejected almost universally because of the impact they would have had on transport and noise and air pollution.

"Also there were a number of issues concerning the number of lorries going in and out and whether that was going to be feasible given the narrow roads.

"I am very glad and the fact the developers have listened to what was going on is important."

Neil Warren, director at Land & Water Estates, said the decision to withdraw the planning application was made following a meeting with Swindon Parish Council.

The marina plans – which include a 130-space car park, farm shop, tea room and viewing area – are unaffected by the decision.

Mr Warren, said: "We were very keen to address any concerns about the work." and any disturbance that may arise so we were delighted to attend an informal meeting with Swindon Parish Council as part of the application process.

"We explained the proposal in detail and heard all concerns. Unfortunately, the application seemed to be misinterpreted by some members of the community who wrongly assumed the process was 'a quarry,' which it clearly isn't.

"However due to the level of alarm this generated we decided to withdraw. This is a great shame as an opportunity to recycle more than 250,000 tonnes of materials has now been lost."

The extraction plan was intended to form the topography levels for the marina – which Mr Warren said will now be achieved from materials on site – and could have involved up to 100 vehicles coming in and out of the village each day.

Planning permission is already in place for the marina, at land adjacent to the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, which could see the population of the area double.

Mr Warren, added: "The principle of the marina and the extant planning permission remain in place, so the decision to withdraw this construction related application does not alter our desire to develop the marina at Swindon, and we hope to involve the local community as far as possible in this iconic scheme."