Concrete Concrete Everywhere - The Lower Brockholes Quarry

The sheer quantity of concrete that is to be poured (or sprayed) over some of the most beautiful parts of Preston and South Ribble, if the instigators of the Riverworks Initiative get their way, was revealed today.

This article in the Lancashire Evening Post gives details of a planning application by Hargreaves Ash Marketing to extract millions of tons of sand and gravel from a site in the Fishwick area next to the Ribble - much of it intended for the Riverworks Project.

The company plan to take 32 lorryloads of sand and gravel from the site, which borders Moor Nook, every day for 8 years - that is a hell of a lot of concrete, much of it destined to cover valued allotments, football pitches and beautiful green belt land, in order to fulfil the warped dreams of the architects of Riverworks, who want to build a barrage across the river, and over 4000 houses and businesses in the floodplain.

Councillor Albert Richardson seems to have asked a reasonably sensible question about the wisdom of such work so close to our ecologically vital River Ribble, and was given a response in typical Preston Planning Department language, the development will, apparently, "help to diversify the ecological values".

Lets hope Lancashire County Council, the authority with the final say in this matter, give this particular planning application the full searching scrutiny it deserves.

concrete gravel quarry local democracy