ANOTHER proposal to open a quarry and waste tip in Haddiscoe is to be submitted, it was confirmed this week.The bid will concern the same site put forward by Earsham Gravels Ltd two years ago after it was approached by the owners of Haddiscoe's Manor Farm to start work on its land.

ANOTHER proposal to open a quarry and waste tip in Haddiscoe is to be submitted, it was confirmed this week.

The bid will concern the same site put forward by Earsham Gravels Ltd two years ago after it was approached by the owners of Haddiscoe's Manor Farm to start work on its land.

In September of last year the proposals were deemed unsuitable by planning chiefs at Norfolk County Council, however, Earsham Gravel Ltd is currently putting together a new environmental impact assessment to support another bid to the council.

Norfolk County Council is required by the Government to plan for the future supply of aggregates for the next 10 years, and so in 2008 advertised to landowners and quarry operators to provide suggestions of areas containing suitable reserves.

Manor Farm in Haddiscoe approached Earsham Gravel Ltd to develop its land, a site either side of the B1136 Hales road on more than 40 hectares of land at the north west of the village.

Last time around the proposals sparked strong opposition from villagers, who formed the Stopit group to campaign against the bid.

“The Stopit campaign will continue,” said Rory Kelsey, chairman of the campaign.

“If permission was granted it would make a mockery of the very expensive two year consultation process carried out by Norfolk county council.”

He said that the site was too close to the village, church, and Broadland river valleys. He added that the increase in traffic on local roads and through the village, and the impact on the environment, would not be acceptable.

Stopit has recently had to take down a large sign advertising its campaign that it put up two years ago outside the village church and adjacent to the proposed site. The sign, which bore the words “Don't Rip the Heart Out of Haddiscoe,” had never had planning permission to be put up.

However, Mr Kelsey was keen to stress that the campaign was still very much in operation.

Jim Bennett, managing director of Earsham Gravel, said that he did not know when the application would be submitted, but that it would be similar to the original one.

“We're progressing and taking on the comments made by the Stopit campaign.”

“The last thing we want to do is upset people. We like to think of ourselves as a responsible local operator. But we're in the business of extracting gravel and we have to extract the gravel from the ground wherever the gravel is,” he said.

He added that there would be a public meeting at Haddiscoe Village Hall after the proposal has been submitted to give people the chance to air their views.