A bid to dig a major new Rainham quarry is to be submitted sometime in 2023 - but opponents have vowed to fight it "for future generations".
Brett Aggregates, a UK-based producer of sand and gravel, hopes to excavate the new site at Rainham Lodge Farm, just off Berwick Pond Road and to the east of the River Ingrebourne.
The firm says the proposal, currently at pre-planning stage, is key to “maintain a local source of building materials” in Havering.
It is expected that 96 lorries will be required per day, with a website dedicated to the plans estimating two million tonnes of sand and gravel would be quarried at the site over 15 to 20 years.
But concerns including pollution and the impact on traffic have led to formation of the No Quarry campaign group.
The group organised a meeting on October 28 for residents to air their views, and it says momentum has continued to grow.
A No Quarry spokesperson said: “We will be strongly opposing all planning applications for a quarry Brett submits to Havering Council, with the full weight of legal, planning, environment, health and wildlife expertise provided as part of objections.
“The No Quarry campaign has been phenomenal and is growing by the day. It’s a real community movement by the community for the community and future generations.
“In just a few weeks, the No Quarry campaign has set up an official not-for-profit organisation of legal standing, set up by residents working for free. This shows how serious we are at successfully opposing all quarry applications.”
The spokesperson said the group’s Facebook page now has more than 2,000 members, and its No Quarry website is getting more than 1,000 visits per day.
Posters have also been put up around Hacton, Upminster, Hornchurch and Elm Park, with more planned in the coming weeks and months.
A spokesperson for Brett Aggregates said it was “very grateful” for the engagement and comments received at a series of public exhibitions held near Rainham Lodge Farm, and that it is carrying out further studies and design work.
“With that in mind, we anticipate making an application to the council sometime in 2023 and we’ll post further information on our website when it becomes available,” they added.
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