Huge Quarry in South West Surrey
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It is Surrey County Council that are pushing forward to allow a huge ' 1000-metre-wide ' quarry adjacent to the A3 south of Guildford.
The SCC report on the quarry site can be downloaded at left.
The whole area is defined as an 'Area of Great Landscape Value' and is within a major aquifer ( ground-water/hydrology issues ).
It is within the Green Belt and there is a Site of Nature Conservation Importance adjacent to the North.
Very importantly an 'English Nature protected Site of Special Scientific Interest' is just metres from the potential quarry face and adjoins it along most of the 'right-hand edge' ...( East ) ... in the linked picture below.
Hurtmore village adjoins the entrance zone to the North, but with the quarry extending all the way South to historic Eashing village . Norney village bounds the site to the West.
The public footpath which links Norney/Shackleford to the riverside area ( East/West across the middle of the site ) is to be obliterated. In archaeological terms SCC note two 'Sites and Monuments Records' (SMR) ( believed to be Saxon ) within the zone.
..... Perhaps use 'back ' button to return .....
( Click for Before/After Comparison )
( Click for 1000m Scale Comparison )
This proposed site was emphatically rejected by Surrey County Council a couple of years ago. What has caused the decision-makers to change their minds? We can only hope that they are going to take into account the building levels of hostility to this plan from both Guildford and Waverley Borough Councils .
( Click for Front Page Newspaper Report )
( Download 'pdf format' Report as on Surrey County Council Website for an insight into what SCC already acknowledge... )
The proposed Eashing Farm Quarry site will cause many serious problems for this tranquil part of Surrey. Listing them in order of greatest area affected ...
Traffic Issues
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A calculation sheet which explains the derivation of these figures can be found as a link at the bottom of this extended page.
There are horrendous lorry-traffic issues with a potential to generate one 26t lorry routing every two minutes for five years.
A daily burden of up to 260 large ...e.g. 26 tonne ... lorries routings onto the roads radiating from the site, along with a swarm of smaller owner-driver trucks approaching from all points of the compass , and fighting their way through Guildford and Godalming's narrow roads to pick up low-grade builder's sand for their individual building jobs.
The A3(T) Road is about 30 metres away from almost the entire western edge of the proposed site -- likely problems include ...
Dust-induced-visibility issues for drivers if the airflow has an Easterly streamline component
Rock segmentation causing sudden startling noise hazard
Vibration-compaction and undercut-subsidence risk - potentially very expensive for the public purse
There are major safety issues at both A3 entry and both A3 exit points.
See below for examples of just two of them ...
Northbound ( most prevalent ) traffic would enter the A3 at the arrow point ... the preceding tight curvature of access lane means that a fully-laden lorry must accelerate from perhaps 40 mph at that point. Cars manage this with relative ease, but every 5 minutes or so, a further 26 tonne lorry would have to achieve this merging manoeuvre.
All of the traffic on the main carriageway is likely to be driving at over 70 mph and the first visible indication of a lorry joining the A3 is from the point where this photograph was taken. This traffic is then forced to merge at speed and on a curve so as to avoid collision with the lorry which is presented with a VERY short acceleration lane.
Accident statistics are known to be an issue for the exit slip (A3 from South) as it forms a blind T-junction with a natural drop-off in road surface in both directions, creating a ‘blind-rise’ in the roadway. Heavy vehicles would have to take the right turn as shown here. See LEFT and RIGHT views above.
The A3 cannot cope with current levels of northbound traffic through Guildford, let alone this added burden ... especially in a few years time when congestion currently at Hindhead is released by the intended tunnel, only to form at the next natural bottleneck... namely the A3 entry-point to Guildford.
The balance of distribution of UK population drives the demand for deliveries.
The rock and sand transport industry is profit-orientated of course, and attractive rural rat-runs will prove irresistible for 26tonne 3-axle trucks ( or potentially up to 40t articulated).
Eashing Bridge and Charterhouse Bridge are just two examples of historic structures at risk of destruction ... it only has to happen once . Even one future fatal road accident in the town where a quarry-based vehicle is involved would open up heated debate as to why this was allowed in the first place. If the A3 is not convenient for a lorry's intended journey it will fight its way through the narrow and steep streets of Godalming or Guildford.
A glance at a map or a knowledge of traffic conditions south of Guildford indicates that Shalford, Chilworth and Wonersh are going to be badly affected by these lorry movements ... we have figures that clearly indicate thousands per year.
( Click for Traffic visualisation )
Air-quality Issues
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The illustration above shows rock-drilling and localised loading ... just some of the types of heavy mechanical plant that are likely to be involved.The movement of these quarry vehicles on the huge dusty floor of the pit will cause plumes of dust. Visiting collection vehicles will raise dust on the access roads and, a familiar experience to many drivers, will tend to create a 'trail' of grit and dust for the first few miles of their load-journey. The drilling, cutting or blasting elements involved in the extraction and segmentation of hundreds of thousands of tonnes of stone and millions of tonnes of dusty sand over five / ten years or more will cause a constant daily extra source of dust .
( Click for dustflow overview )
The site is positioned high on a ridge overlooking the valley that runs down directly to Godalming just over a mile away. This topography is important. As anyone who has walked between two tall buildings on a windy day will testify, the valley will steer and concentrate the dust into a more concentrated 'blast' of particulate-laden air.
An added issue is one of the extra height of the site , the fine particulates 'settle out' at different rates , but will stay aloft longer ( i.e. go further ) with the 'benefit' of initial altitude. An initial dtm ( digital topographic model ) of the whole area is being built, with which to validate the initial report we received. We will soon publish these computer-generated maps here. Further expert reports will follow.
( Click for Valley overview )
The prevailing winds will drive this airborne particulate matter down into the town , channelled by the steep walls of the River Wey Valley.A 'westerly' component is sufficient to entrain the dust-laden air into the valley's topography and a glance at the wind rose statistics from the Met Office shows that this accounts for '44% of the time for standard winds' and '55% of the time for higher ( most relevant) winds'.
In addition to the human health issues , perhaps it is timely to remember our 'duty of care' for the wetlands and animal species in the valley. That 44% to 55% liklihood of a prevailing wind 'from quarry into valley' figure is very important to them if only they knew it!
Potentially harmful 'PM10'( 10 micron particulate matter ) air-quality readings already regularly approach the levels of concern as shown on the graphs on an interesting section of the Waverley BC website.It can be seen that the PM10 levels are much higher on weekdays compared to weekends which shows that man-made pollutants are the major contributors. This is a major public-health issue affecting tens of thousands of residents.
( Click for 'Waverley Air Quality introduction' overview )
The dormitory areas of an internationally-reknowned school are directly in line with the prevailing wind destination at a distance of only 1000m. Asthma and other respiritory disorders and allergies may need to be considered.
( Click for 'Distances by Wind-direction' overview )
Environmental Issues
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( Click for Environmental visualisation )
A link at left allows the download of a Surrey Wildlife listing ...
The site directly borders onto an 'English Nature designated site of special scientific interest' in the beautiful river valley just 60 metres from the quarry !
The fragile wildlife that resides there will have its environment coated with a daily quota of windblown dust.
The delicate balance that allows some beautiful plants to maintain a precarious existence will be upset as their wet leaf-surfaces gather a photosynthesis-inhibiting coating of quarry dust. The distances involved are as little as 80 metres ( 250 feet ) from quarry wall to delicate ecosystem ! As little as 200 metres ( 600 feet ) from quarry wall to the River Wey with its remarkable dragonfly/damselfly colonies.
A keen amateur photographer found that spending just three hours in the valley directly beneath the quarry site allowed him to return with over 200 remarkable pictures. Some of these can be seen via the NATURE button at top of the home page. We had another local volunteer contribute pictures ( eg header picture of site ) from a 'microlite' flight.
( Click for photos or use NATURE button later )
Water-quality Issues
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There is only one way to ensure that there is not a man-made ecological disater in the valley as a result of creating a huge hilltop scar ... JUST LEAVE IT THE SAME SHAPE IT HAS BEEN FOR THE LAST THOUSAND YEARS OR MORE ...!
These issues are fundamentally a question of 'before' and 'after' and looking at the potential damage that may result from digging out such a huge 800 metre by 400 metre triangular scar into the hilltop. Note : The remaining 'long' edge of the triangle which faces the A3 highway is approximately 1000 metres in length.
Initial reports suggest that there is, at present, a 'protective' positively-sloping upper layer of 'Bargate Stone' hidden from view as it is covered with an upper soil layer.This relatively impermeable stone layer can perhaps be thought of as a sort of 'sloping roof' as things are at present, and would tend to shed incoming flows of water in a predictable path, as has been the case for many thousands of years.
( Click for Simplified Geological overview )
The Surrey plan mentions the removal of 500,000 tonnes of the Bargate stone and 2,900,000 tonnes of sand.( see pdf link elsewhere on this page ). Inevitably this is describing the removal of the 'roof-like' capping layer of rock and the excavation of a huge hole where the sand, which lies beneath it, used to be.
Effectively this turns the quarry site into a huge new entity which is 'part sandpit... part dam'. A total change from the way that it has always been, and with inevitable effects on the adjacent SSSI valley. Inspection of the current 'virgin' site shows that it slopes predominantly to the East, and the degree to which the area eventually presents as 'sandpit' or 'dam' will depend on the depth of excavation which would appear to average 8 to 10 metres ( but this may be misleading as a graduated 16 metre high -- 5 storeys -- face at west seems likely from the calculations) . Please see the discussions on depth elsewhere in calculations.
The effect of this massive and unprecedented change must be to greatly change the route that rainwater follows so as to reach the wetlands below . Every year approximately 112,000 cubic metres of water is collected by the surface area of the proposed excavations alone. This may be visualised as a cube of size 48x48x48 metres. The graphic below uses a row of terraced houses to symbolise this volume of rain-water . A variation in groundwater routing of this magnitude, particularly as tainted/polluted ground-water, is going to have a dramatic effect on the adjacent English Nature site just 100 metres away. A glance at the wetlands picture ( in Nature Pictures section ) shows an isolated saturated pocket of water of perhaps 30 mL ...and the average annual rainfall onto the planned 'excavated-area' on the slopes above is 112,000,000,000 mL !
Effectively, the water will be dammed and , having collected a burden of , for example, diesel-spillage from quarry vehicles and a dose of residues washed from the surface of the newly exposed sand, it will then percolate down onto the denser sand layers which are at and beneath the quarry floor.
This quarry floor is potentially at a height of some 14 metres above the level of the neighbouring valley and so there is a potential to allow a flow of toxin-laden water 90 metres Eastwards into the River Wey Valley .
Local borehole water access is based on the artesian properties of these same sandy 'Hythe Beds'and underlying impermeable 'Atherfield Clay', which is where future contaminants will build up if the plan goes ahead.
Continuing on water-quality grounds the resulting hole is then a tempting way of hiding 'undisclosed waste products' from public gaze. These 'partially-policed' residues are then poised to add to a toxic cocktail which would finally destroy the valley's special flora and fauna, and have potential human drinking water issues because of the proximity of the River Wey , one mile upstream of Godalming. The River Wey then flows through National Trust listed environs to flow through Guildford and beyond.
One might say that 'nobody would allow' a pollution risk of this magnitude ... but then look at the flaws in the current case ... and Surrey County Council are putting the Eashing Farm site forward as a 'Preferred Site '!
From a wildlife perspective the increase in mechanical noise could have a major unsettling effect.
From a human perspective the metallic mechanical clanging and roar of rock and sand being transferred into vehicles and containers would carry for great distances, especially if carried upon the prevailing wind. Rock-drilling as illustrated in the Air-quality segment, and mechanical segmentation or shaping equipment would create very high levels of nuisance noise. Perhaps of greatest importance is the effect on residents' quality of life in the event of explosive rock fragmentation being used. There are possible additional issues of vibration in the surface layers of the ground surrounding the foundations of local houses as well as the well-documented psychological impacts of the low-frequency boom which would carry for great distances. This proposed site was rejected by Surrey County Council a couple of years ago.
They are clearly well aware of these problems and many more... see copy of pdf report on their website ( web address at bottom of column ), link provided here. Some of these problems are dismissed with a metaphorical wave of the hand.
( Click to download 'pdf format' Report as on Surrey County Council Website for an insight into what SCC already acknowledge... )
SSHAC Comment
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SSHAC : Save Surrey Hills Action Committee ...
SSHAC aims to be a politically neutral organisation and the inclusion of external quotations or comment is not an endorsement of any particular party line on these matters.
The potential site is shown on the flat hilltop of the image above which is a low-level aerial shot taken from over the river
This residential area ( starting at both edges of the above image ) runs the risk of 'development blight' until late 2010 as this indefensible issue is raised yet again.We are left to negotiate with the authority which heads its website with the tagline
... putting people first ?
We are getting to know a growing proportion of the potential 20,000 people who do not think that they are being 'put first' and just maybe a true taste of the real democratic process is about to make itself felt in Surrey. This is the biggest issue to hit the Godalming area in many, many years and the number of people who know about these issues is growing by the day. These are the people who will stop this potential disaster from proceeding any further.
Who gains from this plan ??? – there are no benefits to the local community at all.
We need Surrey County Council to look again at the issues that have put us into a situation where we as a community have been given too little time to make a considered and concerted contribution to the very short public consultation period.
It has taken us time to find the contact points dotted around in organisations concentrating on dozens of unique arenas . With the various organisations' permission we are soon going to publish an impressive list of these caring organisations as they step forward to lend their invaluable expertise and assistance.
These people were inevitably difficult to contact in the early days, as they are often away on investigations or exhibitions. We are so pleased that these excellent organisations are beginning to put their weight behind this cause.
This quarry site is so clearly a flawed option that we have organisations in the Political ( Westminster and Local Government ), Ramblers & Walking, Nature, Conservancy, Environmental, Health, Highways, Geological,Historical, Archaelogical & Hydrology/Hydrogeology arenas.
We need to ask that Surrey County Council please look at the history of the way that the first nominal 'public-consultancy' was handled and volunteer a fresh new ( unfettered ) period to ensure that it is seen to be fair. It should be said that we have compiled a list of documented issues of default in this regard.
If you feel that you have found out about this too late you are in the company of many thousands of other local residents, judging by the number of helpful phone calls , offering assistance, that we are receiving. Gathering information, contacting people , collating what they tell us , and creating websites and printed matter takes time.
20,000 people are going to have this hanging over their heads until late 2008 and so we hope that Surrey County Council will look into the points that have been raised here .
We do not want to be put through two years of uncertainty, blight and stress as we gather our resources to the higher levels required to ensure that this fatally-flawed concept definitely goes no further . Please assist us.
Please Act Now!
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If you can add a fresh perspective regarding the existing list of problems presented by the quarry ,or can correct us on any assumptions that we have made, especially by adding comments based on your own expertise then please remember that your points will be welcomed.Do you have any skills / time you can provide? WE NEED YOUR HELP
PLEASE HELP - please click the 'e-mail us' text on the next line and leave your contact information if you can provide ANY assistance.
Click this text to Email Us
We must stop this plan. Please either email us
or write to:-
SSHAC, c/o The Squirrel Inn, Hurtmore GU7 2RN
or telephone Save Surrey Hill Action Committee on 07714-757727
( PS... If you can volunteer amateur or professional skills in any of the areas such as geology, hydrology , flora & fauna etc etc please contact us . We seek to add more people to our existing enthusiastic pool of trusted casual advisors in order to allow us to 'validate/fully appreciate' the jargon-laden professional reports in these subject-areas that are going to be arriving in phase 2 of this saga. )
Thank you to all of you who took the time and trouble to send a form and/or an individual letter to Surrey County Council. Hopefully it is a small step closer to being able to save this beautiful countryside and keep this area a safe and pleasant place for you and your family to live. Please click the links on the left for ideas, suggestions and who to write to ... the forms issue is abating but we have a long way to go yet.
Having delivered numbered public-objection forms many weeks later than they had promised , Surrey County Council did eventually allow a 3 week extension for people to respond using those forms. SCC then applied a new rule which would only allow those new forms to be submitted!
Total number of responses will have counted, but as an area we were put at a huge disadvantage , having a short period of several weeks to get organised, compared to two years for other areas involved.
There may be some justification for consulting the appropriate Local Government Ombudsman on this issue, but at present it is felt that it is preferable to take things a step at a time and only bring the more extensive forms of pressure to bear if there is no alternative.We have received letters of support from the most directly associated Members of Parliament , and permission to place them on this site.We will add other references to the work of other political representatives on this matter as they become available, whilst making every effort to remain 'politically neutral' .
Anne Milton MP has shown much interest in our plight, and so you may like to send any current information to :-
Anne Milton MP
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
Tel: 020 7 219 8392
E: miltona@parliament.uk
Note for Godalming residents - the House of Commons sent us a useful little leaflet regarding guidelines as to which MP may respond. Jeremy Hunt MP is the correct contact with regard to most Godalming residents. Details will follow soon. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We MUST stop this quarry plan !
The contents of this website are provided in good faith by residents of the affected area by way of general information. No liability can be accepted for any reliance on any of the information provided.As more official information is made available to us from a team of experts that are now offering their services, we will seek to provide a more detailed insight ( via this site ) as to how we have arrived at these early conclusions.If any person wishes to notify us of any factual errors, we would be pleased to be so informed. Please email such information using the e-mail button provided.
( Click for Calculations Sheet )
example of one informative source ...Surrey County Council
on one line
http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/sccwebsite/sccwspublications.nsf/
f2d920e015d1183d80256c670041a50b/874b6e18ec4f982680256f0b0050950e/
$FILE/PMZ71%20Eashing%20Farm,%20Eashing.pdf