Items to consider

The residents campaign group are continuing to review the application, and will maintain this page with our current best view of the issues that may be impactful to you, your family, your street, your community, your life.

It isn't a final conclusive list. It's intended to stimulate your own thoughts on what the application means to you. Use this page to develop your own impact statements and objections, then write/note those as a list somewhere. Then visit visit the Object Now page and complete your objection. Our Objection Helper can help you write the most effective objection citing the most relevant plans, research and documents.

COMMUNITY

• Creates a Damaged Community because a quarry is incompatible with residence

• Land movement beneath homes and community buildings - driving subsidence, increased insurance premiums, increased property maintenance bills

• The Cumulative Effect of minerals extractions on this community - and the permanent-expansion of quarrying if they get in

• Inadequate Consultation with Local Residents that has not listened to material issues of concern

ALTERNATE SOURCING OF MINERALS, AND ALTERNATE TRANSPORT MODES, ARE READY, NOW

• Marine extraction is achieved at lower social, environmental, carbon, and financial cost

• Marine extraction is extensible and flexible : it can be ramped up, wound down, paused, for long periods without prolonging community harms

• Marine extraction is sustainable, and recovers quicker than most land based extraction techniques

• Marine extraction can be more easily transported using greener transport such as canal and rail

• Recycled aggregates can be made increasingly cheaper, from an increasing range of input waste, and at a lowering cost as volume increases

• There is an alternate site in Otley (Midgley Farm) allocated by the council for mineral extraction

ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE CAUSED

• Landscape Adversely Altered

• Ecology Disrupted

• No Net Gain for Biodiversity

• Waterways Impacted

• Archaeology and Cultural Heritage impacted - surveys report the site being of 'high value' archeological interest

FLOOD RISK

• Increased Fluvial Flood Risk (Rivers) as they pump into the flood store North or Lower Mickletown

• Increased Pluvial Flood Risk (Rain) caused by CO2, and the altered absorption of soils after restoration

• Risk to Properties from Changed Water Table as the land dries or becomes wetted, causing stresses to cause cracks in properties

• The cumulative hydrological impacts have not been adequately modelled or assessed

UNSUITABLE LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE & SERVICES

• Increased Traffic on Inappropriate Roads. 138 40t wagons/day some days passing each other.

• School crossings along the A639 corridor will become more dangerous with heavy lorries

• Junctions on/off A639 and other routes are unsuitably busy for slow wide turning, slow acceleration HGVs

• Pedestrian crossings, narrow roads and sharp bends are already hazardous and risks are now increased

• Roads Not Suitable for the Applicant’s Demands; too narrow, too close to pavements thus roadspray will affect non vehicular users

• Loss of Public Rights of Way as footpaths are destroyed or re-routed

• Alterations & Degradation to Bus Routes will lessen demand on them, putting them in jeopardy

• Risks from Historic undocumented Coal Mines, such as blow outs of old workings as flooded seams are exposed

• Drainage System Is Inadequate

QUALITY OF LIFE DEGRADED

• Noise Generative from bund building, through operations, and during restorations

• Dust Generative for the full lifecycle of the quarry

• Carbon Dioxide Generative contributing to climate change and increased flood risks

• Light Pollution Generative thus disturbing to nocturnal species

• Loss of Local Amenities and degraded local views and walking routes

• Too Close to Homes & Lives in an area that's recovering from its extractive past

• Lots of Vulnerable People at all stages & ages in the area susceptible to airborne particulates from the quarry, & from transportation methods (fuel, tyre, brake)

POLICIES BREACHED

• Contrary to LCC Policy Statements on transportation methods

• Contrary to Urban Development Plan on land allocation

• Contrary to Leeds City Council Climate Emergency Policy Statement

• Contrary to Green Belt Allocation

• Destructive to Farmland Resources that ought to be preserved, not consumed

• Outdated Technical Standards, Data Points, and Policies for Quarrying

VIABILITY

• The Commercial Failure Risk

• Extensive Duration of Operation both on a working hours basis, and on quarry lifetime, plus inevitable extensions time and time again

• Inadequate Land Restoration Proposal which carries a permanent loss of currently productive farmland

• Alternate Sources for gaining of Aggregates including Marine and Re-Cycled building materials, at lower costs

• Alternate transport solutions of extracted minerals, using rail and canal instead of road haulage

PERMA-EXPANSION OF QUARRYING

Leeds Planning have released land allocations to propose future purposes of land in the city. Three proposals relate to minerals in Methley.