JOINT STATEMENT BY BENTLEY AND COPDOCK & WASHBROOK PARISH COUNCILS : BROCKLEY WOOD APPROVAL QUASHED

Today, the Royal Court of Justice has quashed the planning permission granted by Suffolk County Council (SCC) for the extraction, processing and sale of sand and gravel together with the processing of inert waste materials including concrete crushing at Brockley Wood. 

This is a direct result of action taken by Bentley and Copdock & Washbrook Parish Councils and a small group of Bentley residents, on behalf of their local communities.  This action was taken to hold SCC to account for their unlawful approval of this application and is just reward for the enormous amount of work undertaken by those individuals.

With planning approval quashed, all work on the site should cease as there is no longer any lawful basis for such works to be undertaken.  

Suffolk County Council have agreed that the applicant will need to re-consider their application in the light of the site being designated as a Valued Landscape.  They confirm that this will include re-consultation on any revised plans or documents submitted in order to ensure that SCC review all grounds of our Judicial Review Claim relating to Valued Landscape, HGV movements, noise levels for local residents and land raising issues, all of which must be considered lawfully.

Both Councils will engage with elected representatives at District & County level to do all they can to work together to ensure any subsequent application will have the least impact on our local communities and our valued landscape. We will continue to hold Suffolk County Council to account for the manner in which this process is conducted. 

We will update residents on developments as they unfold.

Cllr Marianne Munday

Chair of Bentley Parish Council

Cllr Adrian Ward

Chair of Copdock and Washbrook Parish Council

29 August 2024

BROCKLEY WOOD QUARRY AND INERT WASTE PROCESSING DEVELOPMENT - LEGAL CHALLENGE

Residents will be aware that, despite overwhelming local opposition and a number of significant omissions and shortcomings in the planning process, Suffolk County Council gave approval to this application at their planning meeting on the 19th March. 

Along with a wide range of local bodies and individuals, Bentley Parish Council had campaigned against industrialisation of the wonderful tract of valued landscape which is now proposed not only for the working of sand and gravel, but a major waste processing and concrete crushing plant sited right next to our ancient woodlands (with their protected species) and residents living in Grade 2* listed buildings.

It is deeply concerned, as are residents, about the impacts of 160 HGVs per day “at the gates of the village” and the potential for these HGVs to travel through our narrow lanes which are totally unsuited to accommodate this traffic, but to which navigation systems will undoubtedly direct this traffic when the trunk roads are congested, as they routinely are.

The Parish Council was so dismayed by Suffolk County Council’s treatment of the planning application and its lack of respect for our local rural communities that, quite exceptionally, it has taken advice from Leading and Junior Counsel who are well versed in the field, and requested the bringing of judicial review proceedings to challenge this decision together with a Bentley resident. This action is supported by other ‘interested parties’ including Copdock and Washbrook Parish Council and other local residents, all of whom are making financial contributions towards the legal costs. Due to this, Bentley Parish Council’s financial liability is limited. 

Now that the claim has been formally lodged with the Royal Courts of Justice, a High Court Judge must consider whether the case is sufficiently "arguable" as to be given permission to proceed to a full hearing. This decision should be known by 26th June and the Parish Council will continue to keep residents updated of any developments in the interim. 

Cllr Marianne Munday

Chair Bentley Parish Council

25th May 2024

Lorry Bentley

VL photo