AN application to create a new sand and gravel super quarry in East Thurrock has been rejected by Thurrock Council.

At a meeting of the authority's planning committee this evening (Tuesday, 24 February) seven out of nine planning councillors voted against the controversial proposal put forward by Ingrebourne Valley Ltd.

It is now more than six years since an application was made 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.

The scheme covers a large, triangular swathe of land between Linford, Orsett and Stanford-le-Hope. The main access will be via the already heavily congested Buckingham Road and Stanford Road.

Ingrebourne Valley Limited first submitted plans for Orsett Quarry, including the erection of processing plant and an infilling programme, in 2019 - sparking waves of local opposition.

That opposition was encapsulated by three local ward councillors, Neil Speight (Stanford West), Fraser Massey (East Tilbury) and Gary Byrne (Homesteads) who all spoke against the project tonight.

Applicant Dan Walker argued the material was essential to meeting the borough's construction needs, citing projections of up to 6,905 new homes in the next five years, each requiring more than 50 tonnes of building materials.

He said the scheme had undergone an "intuitive design process" with Natural England and included commitments to protect high quality habitats, create compensatory ecological areas and work with conservation groups.

Mr Walker added the scheme would result in the "long term security for 25 mainly locally employed persons and abroad ability to support the council in achieving economic growth consistent with development plan objectives".

But councillors described the plans as unacceptable, raising concerns about dust, heavy vehicle traffic and the destruction of a rich wildlife habitat.

Cllr Speight called the project a "super quarry" the borough did not need.

"It's unwanted, unneeded, a risk to health and a huge and problematic imposition on traffic," he said, adding that residents would gain '£25,000' in return for significant disruption.

Cllr Massey said residents had "the right to breathe" and warned that the area already suffers from some of the highest pollution levels in the UK.

"This site is a fantastic wildlife habitat, a vital piece of the green belt," he said. "Noise and dust will not stop at the boundary. This proposal fails on traffic, safety, health and environmental grounds."

Cllr Byrne said East Tilbury had been "drowning in the consequences of poor planning" and warned that the expansion would bring "many years of heavy lorry movements, noise, dust and pollution" to an already overstretched community.

Conservative councillor Jacqui Maney called the environmental implications "deeply troubling," adding: "Residents near Buckingham Hill Road have endured years of disruption… We cannot put them back into that situation again."

Following the debate, the planning committee refused the application, citing cumulative impact, road safety risks and the pollution burden on surrounding communities.

After lengthy debate and discussion 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.

Earlier officers had told members they wanted then to recommend approval, but no councillors were minded to make that proposal.