Residents' quarry extension fears (From Penarth Times)

Residents' quarry extension fears

RESIDENTS in the picturesque village of Michaelston-le-Pit are furious about a proposed extension to a nearby quarry.

Community Councillor for Michaelston-le-Pit, Chris Warman is very concerned about a plan to extend the nearby Wenvoe Quarry.

He told us: "If it's passed there will a huge impact on the environment, which includes a medieval forest.

This should be protected at all costs.

We will do everything in the law to stop the extension going ahead.

A proposed conveyer belt will take aggregate to the old site but what impact this structure will have is anyone's guess."

One resident, Helga Munz of Cwrt-y-Ala, claimed if the proposal is passed she will be 360 metres away from the blasting.

She told us: "This area is usually a haven of tranquillity and that's one of the reasons we came here.

On most days unless the quarrying is particularly loud, you hear nothing but birdsong.

We can hear the quarry blasting at the moment and we are double the distance from the existing Wenvoe quarry site.

"We are also concerned about the dust which is already evident today."

RMC Aggregate of South Wales own the quarry and Richard Millard, Director General of the company, said: "We have been working with the community council and the relevant authorities for ten years therefore the proposal is not a new one.

"We have taken environmental and archaeological studies to assess the area.

There are no sites in the extension which will be at risk archaeologically speaking and we have made an effort to grow trees around the site to minimise noise pollution to residents.

"A quarry is very important for the infra-structure of a city like Cardiff. There are many needs for limestone, such as the filtration of water and vital repairs."

A public meeting debating the issue will take place on Monday, June 16, at 7pm in the Lee Hall, Dinas Powys.