Council puts the brakes on quarry extension plan
about the impact on the green belt and other issues.
At a previous meeting, ward councillors for the area raised concerns about the quarry works putting a planned multi-million pound retail development at Houghton Colliery, and hundreds of jobs, in “jeopardy.”
The council’s own strategic property manager also agreed, stating quarry works would impact on the “success of the colliery site as a retail offer.”
Houghton councillors
Juliana Heron and Neil MacKnight and Copt Hill councillor, Kevin Johnston, spoke out against the plans again at a planning meeting.
Concerns included the impact on wildlife, noise and dust, continued HGV traffic from the site and potential effects on Houghton regeneration plans.
Coun MacKnight also challenged the applicant’s stance that there was no demand for the employment park, noting major council projects such as the International
Advanced Manufacturing Park near Nissan.
Council planning officers stressed there were no objections to the plans from highways, environmental health and ecology teams and national bodies such as Highways England and Natural England.
And finance manager for Holystone Civil Engineering, Ryan Peddie, said continued works at the quarry would safeguard and create jobs and compliment regeneration efforts in Sunderland.
This includes providing a facility to process inert waste from the construction industry, improved recycling rates and the employment benefits of the planned employment park itself.
He added that the loss of the waste processing facility would see rising development costs for regeneration projects in Sunderland rise with marginal projects and jobs potentially at risk.
Following debate, a motion to reject the plans won support from the committee.