Imerys Minerals: Plans scuppered to turn reservoir next to working quarry into four-bed home near Beverley
A developer has been refused permission to turn a disused reservoir near Beverley into a home as it's too close to a working quarry.
Plans were submitted to turn the former Yorkshire Water reservoir, off Broadgate, Walkington, into a four-bedroomed house with a games room, sauna and triple garage, after it was sold off at auction.
The developer appealed to the Bristol-based Planning Inspectorate after East Riding Council refused the plans last June, which included an extension to create a small first floor for one bedroom.
The other bedrooms and living rooms were to be on the ground floor facing an internal courtyard.
However Planning Inspector Ryan Cowley said future occupiers were likely to face "undue noise, pollution and disturbance" as it is so close to Imerys Minerals' Queensgate quarry.
The French multinational had objected saying they had been mining a pure and rare deposit of chalk for 65 years – and have planning permission to continue until 2042.
The business operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and has an active blasting licence, with crushing, grinding, hammering and cutting carried out on site.
The dwelling would be just 30m away from a maintenance and fuel storage building, 80m from process buildings and 160m from the mine.
Walkington parish council also objected, concerned that it would encourage developers to try and build outside the village boundary.
However there was support from one councillor who described it as a “green sustainable” development.
Mr Cowley accepted there were other homes nearby, but said the appeal site was "significantly closer" to process facilities.
Sealed glazing would help soundproof the property, but occupiers would want to open windows in the summer.
He added: "Were the appeal to be allowed, there is a real prospect of restrictions being placed on the operator of the adjacent minerals business to curtail operations."