Big battle rages on (From Penarth Times)

Big battle rages on

CAMPAIGNERS are still battling to stop a superquarry threatening the countryside around Penarth and Dinas Powys.

Vale of Glamorgan Council planners have received a record number of letters of objection against the proposed extension between Wenvoe and Michel-stone-le-Pit, as residents take on a corporate giant in what could prove a test case in British legal history.

Graham Jones, a volunteer warden for the Woodland Trust, has been spearheading opposition to the quarry.

He said: "As far as I am aware, the 800 letters of objection is the largest number the Vale Council has ever received. We expect to reach 1,000 objections by Christmas.

"This is something of a David versus Goliath situation, as Cemex are now the largest supplier of construction materials in the world."

The superquarry case has attracted national media attention, because the proposal would see the destruction of ancient woodland, and is one of the first applications of its kind to come before planners since the introduction of stricter environmental legislation.

The Vale superquarry application, was due to be discussed today on BBC Radio Wales and covered on BBC's 6 o'clock national news tomorrow evening.

Mr Jones said: "If this proposal gets the go-ahead ancient woodland, hedgerows and pastures will be lost for ever. We believe that granting planning permission would fly in the face of legislation adopted by the UK following the Kyoto summit.

"There is a great deal of interest in how this turns out, because it will set a legal precedent."

The Vale of Glamorgan planning committee will make a decision on the quarry proposal next month.

Mr Jones added: "The area of farmland purchased by Cemex is much larger than that required for this proposal. I imagine that in time they intend to quarry limestone from the whole of the ridge." The initial quarry proposal will cover an area of about 25 acres, the size of the large lake at Cosmeston.