Dean Quarry – “Shire Oak must stop digging and start building fences”

Following the very well attended public meeting at St Keverne last Friday evening Mr George has called on Shire Oak/Tidal Lagoon – the company which proposes to re-open and excavate Dean Quarry – to have their plans open to close scrutiny and to commit to a compensation fund for the local community should the project proceed.

Mr George, who spoke at the meeting, said:

“This plan cannot be passed simply on the basis of reports which have been commissioned by the applicant.  Each aspect of the Environmental Impact Assessment must be closely reviewed, challenged and, where necessary, alternative studies instigated.

“I asked the company to agree to undertake a socio-economic study as well, to fully assess the potential damage which the re-opening of the quarry will have on the tourism industry in the area.  Although they talk of creating up to 40 jobs, 35 jobs would be lost almost straight away at Roskilly’s and many more lost in the wider economy.

“The company has promised to put aside a ‘Bond’ to cover liabilities and costs of decommissioning, and they also indicated that they would create a ‘Community Fund’ – which I would describe as a ‘compensation’ fund to compensate the local community for the impact that they would have on the area.  This needs to be carefully negotiated should this project go ahead.

“Finally, the company indicated that they would be prepared to surrender their mineral rights outside the red line of the existing Dean Quarry operation in order to reassure the community that they have no plans for expansion – a major fear in the local community.  If they were to commit to surrendering those mineral rights to a local community/charity organisation that would go some way to allaying some of the fears in the local community.”