OLRG now has confirmation that Surrey County Council (SCC) is giving in to pressure from the Chalkpit quarry operator, Southern Gravel, over a daily limit on Chalkpit quarry lorries despite major road safety concerns.
A Ietter to Southern Gravel's solicitors, which has been released to OLRG by SCC (with some parts redacted), proposes a huge daily limit of 156 lorry movements a day (78 in and 78 out). We believe this proposal is based on a fear of being sued rather than on what is a safe and reasonable number of HGVs.
Southern Gravel is claiming even that is not enough - it is proposing a daily limit of 200 movements a day (100 in and 100 out).
SCC's letter can be read on this link (see para 1.6 for SCC's proposal) click here
It is now 6 years since SCC began considering the daily limit figure as part of its review of planning controls on the quarry.
In July 2017, when it first became clear that SCC might be caving in to Southern Gravel, dozens of residents wrote in to SCC to say that a proposed daily limit of 150 HGV movements a day is just not safe. They warned of a serious accident and that someone will be badly injured or killed if such a high daily limit is approved.
Please write now to East Surrey MP Sam Gyimah and Martin Fisher who is the Leader of Tandridge District Council asking them to intervene to prevent this huge and unsafe daily limit of 156 HGVs being agreed. Comments, including any experiences you have had with quarry lorries, should be emailed to sam@samgyimah.com and Cllr.martin.fisher@tandridgedc.gov.uk
