EIGHT months after celebrating stopping plans for a major super quarry on their doorsteps, Thurrock residents now face the prospect of a final fight at a planning hearing to stop their 'nightmare' becoming a reality.

A campaign of opposition that dated back six years since the concept of the quarry on a swathe of land between Linford, Orsett and Stanford-le-Hope was first mooted looked to have been successful in February when Ingrebourne Valley Ltd's plans for the sand and gravel super quarry were rejected by seven out of nine planning councillors.

Two others abstained.

After lengthy debate and discussion and a presentation by Ingrebourne's Dan Walker, Cllrs Russell Cherry, Jacqui Maney, Roy Jones, Lynda Heath, Aaron Green, Mike Fletcher and Cathy Sisterson all voted to refuse, despite a plea from planning chief Ashley Baldwin that they be 'minded to refuse' and defer the matter. Cllrs Tom Kelly and Sue Shinnick abstained.

The application for the development was first submitted in 2019 and ran into a welter of local opposition led by residents who described it as a 'nightmare in the making'.

Ingrebourne want to expand an existing small but currently non-operational quarry (that has planning permission to run for 20 more years), into a huge one, with mineral extraction first and then filling with imported material over a number of years.

More than 1,000 people registered individual objections to the proposal which was ultimately rejected because of fears over pollution, road safety and the destruction of valuable wildlife habitat.

Members labelled the plans "unwanted" and "a risk to health", warning they would subject residents to years of noise, dust and heavy vehicle traffic.

Several environmental groups also registered opposition. All the comments and letters, together with full details of the application, can be read here.

However, while the battle was won – the war will now rage on over the extraction of 1.5 million tonnes of sand and gravel alongside the recovery of remaining fine sand reserves.

And opponents of the scheme say they fear pressure is being brought to bear from on high because of Ingrebourne's connections with the government-backed Lower Thames Crossing. Ingrebourne has a deal with National Highways to dispose of the spoil from the proposed new Lower Thames Crossing tunnel and route through Thurrock.

That, say campaigners, reeks of foul play and genuine environmental reasons to reject the quarry are being brushed aside to expedite that deal.

Ingrebourne have now been granted leave to appeal and a public inquiry will be held starting 23 February 2027, at a location to be decided.

If residents wish to make comments, or modify previous representations, they can do so online at https://appeal-planning-decision.service.gov.uk/comment-planning-appeal/appeals/6016852

The proceedings will focus on the main arguments that drove the initial refusal:

• Traffic & Infrastructure: Concerns over heavily congested routes like Buckingham Hill Road and Stanford Road, alongside the projected addition of up to 300 daily HGV movements.
• Environmental & Wildlife Impact: Strong opposition from national and local ecological bodies—including Buglife, RSPB, and the Essex Field Club—fearing the destruction of local wildlife sites and invertebrate habitats (e.g., at the nearby Buckingham Hill Pit).
• Community Backlash: The application amassed more than 1,100 formal public objections focusing on dust, noise, and declining air quality.

Objections to be considered at the appeal (ref 6016852) have to be submitted by 11.59pm on Tuesday, 1 December.