In this article a few weeks ago, we ascertained with the use of a ruler, a map, and some basic information about the volume and weight of gravel, that the current 18.26 hectare site which we are faced with could just about manage to produce the required 1 million tonnes of gravel.

However, since publishing that article, we've learned a few interesting things about the mineral extraction process which effectively reduces the size of the site in question quite considerably.

There are a number of signifigant obstacles within the remaining 18.26 hectare site that eat into the workable area quite considerably as the engineers have regulations and working practices that must be adhered to. These obstacles include...

Power pylons
Roads
Rivers
Proximity of properties
Sewage pipelines

As has been discussed time and time again, the site is quite obviously split in two by a public road that forms the main access route into and out of the village. Namely, Paws Lane.
A minimum 10 metre buffer must be maintained between quarry excavations and roads to prevent subsidance of the road into the hole. In some situations, depending on the stability of the ground, this buffer can be bigger, but for the sake of argument, we'll work with a 10 metre buffer for the time being.

Next, there's the power pylons to be considered. To move these would be an enormous task, requiring the re-positioning of pylons along the line for miles in each direction. Having spoken to engineers at Sibelco and EDF, we have been informed that pylons would not be re-routed for a site of this size, so the excavators would have to work around them.
A minumum 15 metre buffer must be maintained between quarry excavaions and power pylons to maintain the integrity of their collosssal foundations. Again, this buffer may be larger, but we'll work with a 15 metre buffer for now.

But that's not the only issue raised by the power pylons. Access must be maintained to the pylons to allow the electricity company to get to them. This takes the form of a causeway, usually between 15 and 20 metres wide.
And we also learn that under health and safety working regulations, heavy working machinery such as that found in quarries, may not be permitted to work within a 30 metre radius of any high voltage cables to prevent the risk of accidental discharge through the air.
The cables that span the MIN93 site hang very low and the excavation is not a particularly deep one, so we can say with some confidence that the causeway which allows access to the pylons will follow a line directly below the cables, linking the pylons and preventing machinery from working below the cables. This will effectively split the site into four separate smaller sites.

Similar concerns still remain surrounding the sweage pipeline, which we all know cuts right through the middle of the site. This will have to be either re-routed or worked around, and the probability is that the latter option will be chosen. If this decision is taken, it will effectively sterilise the area of the site between Paws Lane and the sewage pipeline, further reducing the workable area.

To the north of the site, we have a river which feeds into the lakes to the west of the village where fish are bred. Any polution in that river will have a seriously detrimental effect on the ability of those lakes to sustain life and their suitability for fish breeding.
The Save Pentney Action Group has commissioned independent tests into the purity of the water in this river and several points along its route, and we are now in possession of the ersults of those tests.
To prevent contamination of this river, an impermiable barrier will have to be put in place. This will take the form of either a clay barrier or metal interlocking plates. Either way, it will require another 10 metre buffer to ensure it is effective.

And finally, although the site was modified recently to move the excavation further away from the main habitable area of the village, it still comes unacceptably close to a property on the south eastern corner of the site.
It is reasobable to expect that the site will again be modified to draw the workings away from this property and the space used to erect earthworks to deflect sound up and away from the village.

All of these modifications result in a greatly reduced site, covering just over 10 hectares, as llustrated here in the exclusions map.

According to the calculations in this article, a site of that size simply cannot sustain the expected yield of 1 million tonnes, so why on earth are they continuing with this application?
Withdraw it now and save everybody a lot of heartache.