Stop The Quarry: Campaigners gearing up for battle against Tippers R Us plans for new quarry between three villages near Ipswich

A rallying cry has been made for residents of several villages outside Ipswich to stand against plans for a controversial quarry.

Last night, more than 100 people met at Witnesham Village Hall with the aim of creating a task force.

From here, they will work to oppose Kesgrave-based Tippers R Us, which has submitted a scoping request to extract and process sand and gravel on land between Westerfield, Witnesham and Tuddenham St Martin.

More than 350 residents have submitted formal objections to the plans.

Michael Reynolds, of Witnesham, said the plans for the quarry were ‘grotesque and firmly inappropriate’.

He said: “We have one simple message: stop the quarry.

“However, our broader message is how to achieve this. This quarry means 16 years of dust, noise disturbance, pollution, heavy lorry movements – and the destruction of countryside would be intolerable, unacceptable and have a harmful impact on all of us.”

Under the plans, there would be about 126 HGV movements to the site per day, with the only access road being the B1077. The applicant has estimated that 125,000 tonnes of material would be extracted per year.

Mr Reynolds said this would amount to a new major heavy industry within much-valued countryside.

He raised concerns over its effects on air quality, climate change, cultural heritage, ecology, hydrogeology, soils and the landscape.

A full planning application for the quarry is expected in the coming weeks.

Campaigners faced an uphill battle, Mr Reynolds said, not knowing whether Suffolk County Council would reject or oppose the plans, nor what information would be in a formal planning application.

He added: “If [the council] rejected it, we swing solidly behind that. This would illustrate the strength of community feeling against the project and the detailed, factual arguments we shall have put forward.

“If, however, they were to approve it, we would have a real fight on our hands. Our opposition must be based on fact, current research, policy rules and regulations as they stand.

“We need to be ready to examine, in minute detail, everything the applicant submits as soon as this document is available to us and its impacts on the community.

“Communities can and have organised themselves to resist quarry applications. May our campaign flourish and succeed.

Cllr Elaine Bryce, who represents Carlford Ward for the county council, which includes the three villages, has thrown her support behind campaigners.

She said it was good to see so many people turn up to the meeting, describing the quarry as a preposterous idea.

Cllr Bryce said: “I am not representing Suffolk County Council as the planning authority, I’m here representing you, residents of the parishes who are going to be affected.

“There have, I think, been a record number of objections, which shows the strength of feeling people have against the quarry.

“I’ve had meetings with the council leader and the cabinet member for planning and they have no illusion they won't have a fight on their hands.

“I'm standing with you and will do everything in my power to work against the plans.”

Cllr Bryce said she was inspired to become a councillor after villagers fought against the Northern Bypass in 2019.

She added: “I am going to fight this tooth and nail all the way. Although I am your councillor, I am in opposition to this as much as everyone in this room with us right now.

“You all realise the impact the quarry will have. There are hundreds of other residents, who don't realise how it will impact them or even realise what it is.

“[The campaign has] got to be real, it's got to be emotive, they have to understand what it'll do to their lives.”

Jerry Hindle, acting chairman of Swilland and Witnesham Parish Council, said the campaign was desperate for help, which is why a task force was formed.

Nick Green, who led the campaign against the Northern Bypass in 2019, was also present at the meeting.

Mr Green has pledged £1,000 to get the campaign up and running, while Witnesham Parish Council has pledged £2,000.

He said the situation was grave and that villagers had very little time to get a campaign together – but was filled with confidence due to the number of people at the meeting.

Mr Green said: “We need to do this now. We have three weeks once the application comes out to make all the noise we can.

“This is the misery of the masses for the profits of a few.”

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