Council rejects village concrete plant development

Plans for a concrete plant at an industrial site in Derbyshire have been rejected after a backlash from residents.

Planners at North East Derbyshire District Council said the application from Bear Concrete Limited for the site off Main Street in Unstone would "affect the appearance of the premises".

Residents in the village raised concerns about noise, dust, traffic, potential contamination for the River Drone and the suitability of a narrow bridge to cope with lorries.

Unstone councillor Alex Dale said: "I'm really pleased that common sense has prevailed and the council has refused this application. It was absolutely the right decision."

The development would have had a ready-mixed concrete plant built on a 0.14-hectare (0.3-acre) site, including storage silos, aggregate bins and associated infrastructure.

According to planning documents, the main plant would have stood about 5.5m (18ft) high, with the silos reaching up to nine metres (29ft), the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Dale said the council rejected the plan due to the scale and appearance of the proposed silos, plant and infrastructure, adding it would "significantly change the character and appearance of the site".

Planning agent Dan Walker, on behalf of the applicant, previously said the application would be located in a "well-established industrial context" and its installation and use could be undertaken in a "manner aesthetically in keeping with its industrial surroundings" in an area that is "relatively remote from residential development".

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