the quarry

Thu 2 Oct 2008, 09:23

Thanks for that Kat. I don't know if any of you were actually listening to Radio Oxford yesterday (Wed 1st Oct) at 7.30am, but I was on!! I missed it since, yes I do have another life other than corresponding on this website and posting leaflets through people's doors, I was getting the kids ready for school. However, I do understand that it was okay. I am unsure as to it's actual effectiveness but we'll see.

Tue 30 Sep 2008, 23:51

Harriet, you made me smile. Or maybe that was wince. With your crack about dog "dirt", that is. It's just as true about many of Charlbury's pavements, to the point that several of my children's first words were "dog poo".

Meanwhile, Igor's point about Cornbury is pertinent here because, as Cornbury has at least some public footpaths through it, something similar at the quarry would be welcome indeed. Not the same "footing" legally, of course, but in practical terms, limited public access would be better than none.

Count me in, Deborah. Kat.

Tue 23 Sep 2008, 12:34

Deborah - you're right that there is no grafitti there at present, it was a couple of years back. Since you're not a geologist it's unlikely have impinged on you had you seen it, possibly you didn't even live here at that time.

I don't see the quarry as a rare and beautiful jewel BTW, to me it's a place full of beautiful flowers, some interesting rocks and a massive amount of dog shit. Because my daughter thinks at the moment that she would like to be a naturalist, we discovered we can find the same flowers in other places round here, they're not confined to the quarry.

Tue 23 Sep 2008, 09:20

Deborah, I admire your tenacity and willingness to act and I wouldn't take anything away from your points, which I agree with. However, why just focus on the quarry as a site of natural beauty "squirreled" away by private ownership? People are entitled to do what they will with the land they own, up to a point. And that point is mediated by their neighbors and the general good of the community they own land in.

I'd like to put effort into convincing the owner of the largest natural deerpark in the county to open up their private grounds to the public and not just during rock concerts.

Everything you state applies equally to the grounds of Cornbury Park and I can't think of a better place for a budding David Attenborough to become inspired. Yet, those massive grounds remain off limits to the surrounding community and people who would appreciate its natural beauty most of the year.

Surely opening up even part of the grounds to a modestly paying public would bring commerce, culture and community to not just Charlbury but Finstock and other surrounding villages.

Any takers?

Tue 23 Sep 2008, 07:45

Thanks everyone for the clarification of the SSI. I am sure that as I mentioned previously that there must be a middle ground, whereby some sort of controlled public access can be allowed thus protecting the parts that need protecting and allowing the public access to the other bits. To Ms Baldwin I would say that the majority of people who used the quarry did so without creating any damage. As for grafitti, I would be grateful if she could explain exactly where that is, since to my recollection there is none. I cannot express enough the importance of seeing the quarry as more than some rare and beautiful jewel to be viewed and admired at a distance. How do you think people like the David Attenborough's, Gerald Durrell's and even the Bill Oddy's of this world got their interest and enthusiasm for the natural world? Ofcourse it more than likely started out as them roaming around and having access to areas of our beautiful countryside such as the quarry. More and more of this countryside is being eaten away to housing and industrial developments. What isn't being taken in such a way is being squirrelled away by private owners such as Curtis's and we have to remember we are only an island. As others on this thread have said, please lets look to the future and for our children's sake and their children lets all try to pull together to get Curtis's to see sense and find some middle ground.

To this end it would be great to know just exactly who is available to help me in this quest. I think it is time to organise ourselves into a cohesive group and start putting our money where our mouths are (so to speak). To that end I would be grateful if you could contact me via this site and let me know if you are available and what help you can provide. Thanks

Mon 22 Sep 2008, 17:08

BDescription and Reasons for Notification
Ditchley Road Quarry shows a rock succession from the Bajocian Clypeus Grit up to the basal Taynton Limestone
(progracilis Zone, Middle Bathonian). Above the fossil-bearing limestones of the Clypeus Grit occurs the best complete (6 metres thick) section of Chipping Norton Limestone in Oxfordshire. The fossil rootlets present in the top of the Chipping Norton Limestone here are significant because they lend support to a proposed 'event correlation' of the Chipping Norton
Formation with the extensively rootletted muds and sands of the Stamford Member (Rutland Formation) of
Northamptonshire. This exposure of Chipping Norton Limestone is vital for our understanding of the types of environments prevalent across this part of the south Midlands during Lower Bathonian times.
The quarry is also important in interpreting the lateral lithological changes that occur in the stratigraphic level of the Sharp's Hill Formation, since it lies geographically between typelocality and the problematic Stonesfield area./B

In other words, there's nothing about flora or fauna in the citation. On the other hand, the SSSI does cover the whole of the far end of the quarry, not just the quarry face: see the map available at www.english-nature.org.uk/Special/sssi/sssi_details.cfm?sssi_id=1001785

Sun 21 Sep 2008, 23:16

Thanks, Harriet, for the website re: SSSI. I had always thought the quarry was an SSSI for its fauna (in particular, butterflies), but now discover its citation is for the rock formation above the cliffs. I'm saddened the man at Curtis's was not more amenable to discussion, as preserving the quarry's SSSI focal point (i.e., the rock formations) would seem relatively simple compared to protecting flora or fauna. I, for one, Deborah, would support you on any further approach you want to make with regard to opening the site for public use,.

Then (sigh) the issue about buggies. It's true that buggies are usually confined to tarmac and pavement, which is why the quarry was such a boon. Baby and older siblings both could enjoy natural surroundings, watch caterpillars hatch, see wild strawberries flower and then fruit, hear woodpeckers, and breathe clean air -- a far cry from roaring engines and smelly fumes. I'm just thankful the baby has since learned to walk, so he can still marvel at trees and flowers and birds in places where buggies are impractical.

Sat 20 Sep 2008, 11:02

You need to go and read the Natural England site and find out about SSSIs.

www.english-nature.org.uk/special/sssi/

This page has a link to a PDF about denotification.
www.english-nature.org.uk/special/sssi/consultation.cfm

Since the worked face is at least part the reason the Quarry is an SSSI, the fact that some clever people have seen fit over the past few years to smash it up and grafitti it may well be part of why Curtis have now denied access.

Also from the Natural England site

It is an offence for anyone to intentionally or recklessly destroy or damage the special features of any land that they know is a SSSI, or to intentionally or recklessly disturb any animal which is notified as being of special interest.

There may well be idiots who are attempting to sue the owners for accidents they may have had there, but given the fact the worked face has been vandalised there is no reason that Curtis should allow anyone access. They are responsible for maintaining the site, after all.

I'm nothing to do with Curtis BTW, we used to go in there to photograph the plants, and when I was doing my Geology degree it was very useful to me to have an exposure right on my doorstep.

Thu 18 Sep 2008, 16:14

Thanks Igor, I was wondering about that. I am about to send out some letters and questionnaires, to see exactly what sort of support I have before I go headlong into a 'Campaign'. So stand by your letterboxes!

Thu 18 Sep 2008, 13:07

You need to go to the county press to publicize your concerns.
Anyone not affiliated with a private business or a local official body is usually dismissed as belonging to some nutty pressure group in this part of the world. Your only recourse is to appeal to public opinion through the press which if interested enough will sometimes embarrass- into-action.
IMHO

Thu 18 Sep 2008, 12:03

Have just spoken to a very obnoxious person by the name of Mr McDonald at Curtis's (he apparently owns one third of the Company) who is not prepared I am afraid folks to see or consider any middle ground. So unfortunately according to him the quarry is off limits to all and sundry. He was not prepared to listen to anything I had to say and was to say the least extremely argumentative. He was not even prepared to consider some sort of meeting (according to him he wasn't interested in talking to a 'pressure group'). To show his professionalism he even put the phone down on me!! Any ideas anyone?

Thu 18 Sep 2008, 05:42

Deborah you make a valid point in what you say.I must admire your tenacity in wanting to make something happen its what some ladies do best ,so i wish you all the best with that.

Wed 17 Sep 2008, 16:15

That is fine Roger but however said person/s have been leaving their backdoor open for the past, well, at least three years. So I think us 'Joe Bloggs's' have some right to grumble at least. I am going to try to contact Curtis's in view of organising a meeting between the two parties, since there must be a middle way or a compromise at least. I might also try for BBONT to see where they stand in possibly putting in an offer for the land. Perhaps a compromise might lie in us dog-walkers/hikers paying an annual fee (all monies to go towards the upkeep) to somebody to allow us access. With there being rangers organised to do 'spot checks' every once in a while? All this though is much, much in the future. Will keep you posted.
By the way all offers of dog walking will be generously accepted!!!

Wed 17 Sep 2008, 07:29

Surely i am missing the point somewhere .If we were meant to be able to use the quarry the gates would be wide open with a welcome come in sign on the gate .As for centenary wood again surely are buggies not meant to be for tarmac paths and roads . I am sorry if this sounds harsh and in no way do i want to offend anyone ,but in these days of political correctness are owners not allowed to protect the public from themselves and injury without having people up in arms .Whatever happened to people taking no for an answer.As for the centenary wood ,surely any wood is not really suitable for buggies .

Wed 17 Sep 2008, 00:48

I agree with Deborah's plea for some kind of compromise. The quarry is the *only* nature-lovers place that can accommodate a buggy/pram (after bumping up and over some rocky paths), and I sure miss the chance to take my children for such a beautiful, safe walk. We learned so much from watching nature unfold in the few short months we made it a regular weekly venture. Of course, we're now using the Centenary Wood, BBONT reserve, but buggy-friendly they're not!

Tue 16 Sep 2008, 17:30

OR can some please offer t walk her dog for her ,then she would not have to look at the said place which seems to upset the poor lady so much.

Tue 16 Sep 2008, 17:27

This is surely only hearsay.Can you really imagine curtis and co allowing someone having had an accident to then patrol the very place where the accident occurred .Please will someone take deborahs computer away from her or she will become a writer of something or other .

Tue 16 Sep 2008, 15:25

So are you saying it boils down to suing, and (the said person) is now being paid to guard. By means of pay off.
I guess if no one comes on here and tells the facts. You can assume what you will!!!!!!!!!!!

Tue 16 Sep 2008, 08:21

I am afraid I am possibly going to put the cat amongst the pidgeons here, but it has come to my attention that the quarry is being patrolled amongst others by the couple, one of whom had the very bad fall requiring the aid of the emergency services to airlift…

Long post - click to read full text

Thu 28 Aug 2008, 08:56

I am in no doubt about the valididty of what Mr Davis is telling us, but as I said I am keen to know just exactly what his position is with all this. As for planning permission would prefer a nice little summerhouse, however if you can find a garden gnome modelled on your fine looks might be interested. Surviellance - I am sorry to dissapoint you might be a bit board. Now can we please concentrate on the matter at hand Mr Short - thank you!

Wed 27 Aug 2008, 18:49

Deborah whoever mr Davies is ,he is quite right in what he is saying so 'BEWARE' i might just put in for planning permission for your back garden for a gnome with a telescope to keep an eye on you .

Wed 27 Aug 2008, 11:15

Oh, really Roger! Control yourself!! It's more like having to watch too many episodes of 'Poirot'!!! Still don't tell me that you're not the slightest bit curious as to who our 'Mr Davis' is?

Tue 26 Aug 2008, 22:25

Deborah does your husband know what you get up to on the computer when he is not looking.Fancy asking a stranger to reveal himself or do you have some idea who he is ??????.

Mon 25 Aug 2008, 22:52

Mmm, yes I must admit I would be keen to know just exactly who 'Mr Davis' is and just what exactly his interest in the quarry is? Reveal yourself Mr Davis!

Sun 24 Aug 2008, 14:37

has mr davies got a vested interest in the quarry or does he live on the edge of the quarry. it makes one wonder.

Sun 24 Aug 2008, 13:34

If it helps W.O.D.C. try to"ZONE" the area . As i understand it planning can be put in on there behalf with out the knowledge of the owner " just in case". The owner has gone to considerable lengths with qualified profesional advice creating a "model quarry restoration " a blue print for other quarrys insted of just abandoning it to nature. So there is no intention of it being built on at all.The whole area is tecnically one big experiment, unfortunately the quarry has gone from being a secret garden to more and more people coming from near and far for various reasons this all has an impact on the area . As to the question of access i cant answer that. Maybe something can be worked out i dont know ,as long as person or persons are glueing the locks ,removing the signs ( unfortunatly a legal requirment) and creating new entrances is only causing more problems than necessary.It is important this area is allowed to flourish and ask that people respect the fact that it is still private property thankyou

Fri 22 Aug 2008, 12:43

Charlbury quarry will never be built on unless they can get vehicles to fly ,as there is not a reasonable way in .This has been explored before.

Thu 21 Aug 2008, 23:01

Sorry being new to this forum my previous posting was made in the wrong place.
Having read Mr.Carpenters latest news I am deeply disturbed that housing and industrial use are both a probability for the Quarry.Are we not allowed to leave nature as it was intended.Surely someone can stop this from happening?If anyone has any ideas to how this can be prevented I will wholeheartily help!

Thu 21 Aug 2008, 22:56

I have walked my dogs in the quarry for 11 years and my children along with my nephews and nieces named the quarry 'The Crystal Mountain'.We have had many years of enjoying the tranquility and beauty of the natural environment in which hundreds of wild flowers and creatures exist.We are saddened by its closure to the public as we have never knowingly caused anything in there any harm.we are grateful that the rumours of housing and landfills are untrue,but we will all truly miss our beautiful walks with our families and friends. Thank goodness we will keep our happy memories of our crystal mountain!

Wed 20 Aug 2008, 16:36

So why is the following application still lodged on the District Council website? Are you saying it will be withdrawn, Mr Davies? (The applications don't cover the SSSI, of course.)

BSite Submission 256 View Map of this site ?
Location: Charlbury
Address: Charlbury Quarry
Proposed use: Housing
Area (ha): 2.31
Submitted by (and on behalf of): Kemp and Kemp (J Curtis and Sons Limited)
Date received: 12-May-08/B

There's still the other application on there, of course:

BSite Submission 101 View Map of this site ?
Location: Charlbury
Address: Charlbury Quarry
Proposed use: Employment
Area (ha): 2.3
Submitted by (and on behalf of): Charlbury Town Council
Date received: 07-May-08/B

Wed 20 Aug 2008, 11:59

Can I also add my thanks to, to 'Mr Davies'. It is good to know that for once and all that the site will remain 'untouched'. Although yes, I do reiterate Kats feelings that couldn't there be some 'middle ground' we could find with Curtis's to enable us some access. Walking my dog round the lane this morning it was difficult seeing tantalising glimpses of what, yes, only a couple of weeks ago we were walking around. Most of the users do respect the quarry for what it is. It is difficult now finding somewhere so safe to allow my dog to wander off the lead and which would also give him a reasonable walk on a rainy day. I know it is a purely selfish wish but please please surely we can find some middle ground to enable us still to enjoy this beautiful bit of the countryside. I can understand that my dog walks in the quarry might come to an end - especially as Mr Davies said to protect the ground nesting birds. It is understandable that dogs should be banned but couldn't us humans be allow access of some sort in the future?

Tue 19 Aug 2008, 23:02

AT last ,someone has left no one in any doubt about the quarry. Thankyou mr davies whoever you are for clarifying the situation.

Tue 19 Aug 2008, 21:29

I hold my hand up and admit to having been ferreting around the quarry many times ... it's near my home, and absolutely beautiful. The marble white butterflies, the chance to pick blackberries and apples in the same place, the most brilliant puddles for children to splash in. I can't think of a better natural reserve, and optimist that I am, I should very much hope the owners could find a way to let the public enjoy the quarry's natural wonders while protecting themselves re: liability. Low-cost housing? Oh, dear. I'm not against low-cost housing, but I'm against any development on that spot of any kind. It really is something to cherish.

Tue 19 Aug 2008, 19:08

CHARLBURY QUARRY.
Charlbury quarry is a privately owned property.
There are health and safety issues involved,it is an unstable and unsafe area. The owners accept no liability,as no public should be present at anytime. All of the entrances that had been illegally cut in the fence have been closed. Anyone cutting or reopening them are committing a criminal offence under anti-social behaviour and trespass laws.
It is registered as an SSSi(a "site of special scientific interest)and as such is protected by law.
Damage to this site can result in a very hefty fine and even carries up to a 12 month prison sentence.
There are also rare protected species of plant,reptiles,animals and insects, these are protected by law also.
Permission for public use has NEVER been granted.
Due to the high volume of people (illegally) entering the quarry it is now being blocked off for its own protection.The increasing amount of broken glass,rubbish and plants,trees being cut,dug up and stolen(which include rare and protected species). There is also risk to the ground nesting birds.
Also people removing fossils and damaging this protected site.Has all lead to the quarry being blocked off.
The owners have taken time,effort and money importing soil and over 11,000 trees and plants returning the quarry back to as natural a place as possible,creating a haven for wildlife.
The owners are willing to secure the area with a security fence like the gate, but hope this will not be necessary.
The area is being monitored by various people and by various means.
It is hoped this clears up any questions local residents have and be reassured there is no intention of anything being built on this protected land.
Anyone seen or caught trespassing will be reported to the relevant authorities.

Tue 19 Aug 2008, 00:59

Google maps shows the area at quite a high resolution: tinyurl.com/6z8z9r

It is relatively clear from the topography that there is a rather limited potential area of moderately level ground unless there is an intent to use landfill once more to build up the low ground and then to oversite…

Long post - click to read full text

Mon 18 Aug 2008, 23:23

I have been doing a bit of digging (not in the quarry i hasten to add)and there are one or more things that people in town have come up with .Apparently some years ago there was talk of putting a road into the quarry from woodstock road across land owned by a mem ber of the parish council.Would, if the parish council did obtain planning permission ,the land for access to the quarry not go up considerably in price .These being the thoughts of some is there not some indication of self interest involved.

Mon 18 Aug 2008, 17:49

I'd been too unwell to get out for a walk for some three weeks, and hadn't noted the extent to which access has been obstructed (though not too convincingly blocked) nor the overabundance of signs. And CCTV cameras?! I simply don't believe it! They have made their point about not…

Long post - click to read full text

Mon 18 Aug 2008, 14:27

Thanks Christine for being the calm voice of reason throughout all this. It very much does look now as if nothing is going to be happening overnight. I have heard from one individual who actually made contact with someone from Curtis's who stated that the likely hood of anything actually coming to pass in the near future was remote due to the expense of it all. Apparently it appears that they have been advised to close off the site by their Insurers, not because of prospective development but it seems it might be because of a certain indivual who badly injured themselves whilst walking in the quarry is now attempting to sue them. If this is so then it is the usual thing of one minority's stupidity affecting the majority!
So it seems to appear that hopefully the quarry's future is not so bleak after all. As for us dog walkers - well maybe sometime in the future a 'gap' may appear and hopefully commonsense will prevail with those of us who do eventually manage to find a way back in. The main thing is that the habitat of those creature and wildflowers contained therein will remain safe for another couple of years of so at least.

Fri 15 Aug 2008, 13:56

Hi Clare, There are 2 competing bids for zoning land at the Quarry: one by Charlbury Town Council (for employment use)& one by the owners (for housing).

The quarry was previously zoned for employment use, but this was overturned by WODC (despite the report put in by the Independent Inspector…

Long post - click to read full text

Fri 15 Aug 2008, 13:11

I am very confused re. the ownship question of the quarry and the site submissions currently with WODC - has the Town Council one been put in on behalf of the quarry owners? If the Town Council can put in such a proposal for employment use, could they not put one for the whole quarry as recreational use? I do think it sneaky of the Town Council and members thereof to have submitted such a proposal without consultation of those who elected them.

Fri 15 Aug 2008, 11:09

Deborah, Thanks for getting us back to the topic of the quarry! I suspect that WODC might be very open to objections to both zoning proposals. After all,
last time it was the WODC Cabinet who overturned Charlbury Town Council's and the Independent Inspector's advocacy for using this as an industrial or housing site. (See Charlbury Chronicle no 3, 2006.)

But those who object to the proposals can't simply assume that this will hapen again, and it is indeed worth registering objections. I emailed my views to the email address WODC gives online, but haven't received an acknowledgement. I will, therefore, copy the email to the address that Jon Carpenter gives on his blog: paul.slater@westoxon.gov.uk. I suggest others do the same.

Fri 15 Aug 2008, 10:57

Jon i really could not give a damn about the links that you so religiously drone on about. The fact is that at the end of the day ,as with politicians nothing you or i say will make one jot of difference to what happens to the quarry because it has all been said before yet here we are again talking about what rights the owners have to fence off a place of beauty i agree ,but also a place that poses a threat to young people if left unsecured.If the unthinkable should happen to a child ,i am sure the very people on this thread would have a lot to say about who is responsible for the quarry then .So why not start a campaign to bring this to the fore in which i wish you the very best of luck.

Fri 15 Aug 2008, 08:39

"Who owns the quarry and what they do with it is not up to the people of Charlbury ,they only have the right to object to whats set before them."

Untrue. Of course ownership can't be changed, except by compulsory purchase, but everything else is up for discussion -- in theory. Roger obviously hasn't followed the links offered earlier and informed himself about the process. Suggestions have been "put before" us, by the town council and by the owners, and the "right to object" that he wants is passing him by because no one has been told about those very proposals.

Deborah, the longer the town council abstains from this debate (there are up to 10 town councillors reading this thread, but obviously deciding not to contribute) the more it would appear they don't want a public discussion. Maybe Charlbury needs a Residents Association of some kind. It all needs a lot of work, though. It also means coming out from the anonymity of the forum! I don't suppose you can contact most of the people on this thread?

This is not the best place for a debate. The vast majority of the people who read the forum are unwilling, for various and mostly obvious reasons, to contribute to it. A meeting of some kind to discuss the way ahead?

Fri 15 Aug 2008, 06:48

Well excuse me for having an opinion ,but i thought this topic included something about development or am i blinkered about that as well . You should firstly before you throw your rattle out of your pram realise that this debate has been raging on and off for years.Secondly who owns the quarry and what they do with it is not up to the people of Charlbury ,they only have the right to object to whats set before them as i am sure you would do if someone trespassed on your land.If you really want to make a difference ,why not listen to whats going to happen before you go in half cocked then you might actually make some difference.

Thu 14 Aug 2008, 23:18

Sorry Roger much as I am sure that we all would love to spend hours listening to your rather blinkered views on low cost housing - please choose another thread to discuss this. We need to concentrate on the matter at hand which is the quarry. Okay John you said it needs public discussion, what next? A petition to the Town Council an organised meeting with the Town Council? If that is what is needed I am quite happy to start the ball rolling. We cannot and I must not, in this day and age, let yet another beautiful part of our countryside be given over to development. I know that there are plenty other dog walkers who are similarly up in arms about this, so I am sure that any petition will get plenty of signatures!

Thu 14 Aug 2008, 16:05

I am all in favour of low cost housing mandy and see nothing wrong with it .It would be good tho if it was allocated to local people ,people that have actually lived in charlbury or wherever the low cost housing was being built. The problem i have, is that this does not happen .I have heard more than one parent say in public and i quote (oh well the council will have to give her a house now).I do not mean to say that girls get pregnant in order to get a house ,but as soon as a girl is pregnant the system comes into action and needy youngsters that have been sensible are pushed to the bottom of the housing points system in order to accomodate others that think,oh well we will be alright now .The system ought to change so that you can put your name on a housing waiting list and those that do land up pregnant get no special treatment .

Thu 14 Aug 2008, 13:45

That should read 2008!! Naive AND can't type

Thu 14 Aug 2008, 13:26

I can't believe that in 2010 there are still people that hold the view that any single mum must have got pregnant just to get a house and live on benefits. I thought generalisations and bigotry like this had all but disappeared. I'm just naive I guess

Thu 14 Aug 2008, 10:26

Deborah, on the subject of rights of way, I think you would have to prove (with witnesses) that people had been walking those paths for the last 20 years without the landowner trying to prevent them. On the face of it, as this was a working quarry until very recently, this is unlikely. People are trying to prove this on a site in Finstock, and apparently the process costs £2000 and takes 2 years to complete, during which the landowner can do what he likes to the site.

Of course the quarry is private land, and I dare say there are health and safety issues there too. Parts of it could be dangerous and the owners must have some kind of public liability insurance which they may be worried about. So it's quite complicated. But as you say, it needs public discussion!

Thu 14 Aug 2008, 10:14

i think you should be carefull there roger not all single mums have babys to get a house i was a single mum but it wasnt to done to get a house in fact i worked and my mum looked after my son.

yes it would be nice to have houses that peolpe pay for but the price of houses people cant afford to buy them so affordable houseing is one way of them people getting on the ladder.

Wed 13 Aug 2008, 23:41

Surely it is better to have the people who can at least pay for houses,as opposed to those that rely on the taxpayers to pay for their rent ,namely those who choose not to work or single mums who get themselves pregnant with a view to getting a free house and living on benefits. As a worker and taxpayer i know which i would prefer.

Wed 13 Aug 2008, 23:04

Does all this still mean that someone has the right to stop us dog walkers and hikers, who basically do no damage, accessing the site. As I said before it all seemed to have been done in a very underhand way (small signs nailed to trees next to entrances and the entrances themselves being blocked with a mixture of barbed wire and brambles) As for consultation we have obviously received none. The whole thing stinks from my point of view as a dog walker and lover of wildlife because at the end of it all we all know what will loose out.

What of my query about the access points becoming public rights of way? Am I totally clueless or could this be possible?

As for more affordable housing in the area as Clare points out we seems to be quite fortunate in having several areas already earmarked. However, as Dave pointed out no doubt we will loose those again to people to whom money speaks louder than words (or common sense), but that is yet another debate!

Wed 13 Aug 2008, 18:49

The quarry does have a geological SSSI in it, it is a wildlife haven - I walk through it most mornings just to hear the birds and see the myriad of wild flowers sets me up for day - its a beautiful and unique landscape and it would be very if it was destroyed.

On the point about affordable housing - I believe the field beyond the bowling green is ear-marked for the next phase, plus there is the proposed development of 13 homes on the diary site so lets see how Charlbury's infrastructure deals with all that first!

Wed 13 Aug 2008, 18:30

Is this private land? yes. So the owners can lock gate build fenches to keep people of it stop them tresspassing

Wed 13 Aug 2008, 16:21

The proposals are not for the whole quarry, only a relatively small part of it at the Charlbury end. Go to localplan.westoxon.gov.uk/document.aspx?document=29&display=contents and click on Charlbury for the maps. (Once you're in Charlbury, you click on the globe icon beside each proposal.)

These are not planning applications as such, they are attempts to get land zoned for specific purposes. All the more important to have them discussed openly at this stage, because once zoning has taken place, there could be a presumption in favour of the more detailed proposals that will come later.

If you live on Ditchley Road or Ticknell Piece, someone should be consulting you.

Wed 13 Aug 2008, 15:25

Deborah, These are only proposals & have yet to be accepted. Last time, housing was turned down because of problems with road & services access & a likely increase in traffic etc. Nothing much has changed since then, except that more houses have been built nearby & also the quarry has become a more established greenfield site. Neither of these developments will help the quarry owners in their bid to zone this land for housing--nor, for that matter, Charlbury Town Council in their competing bid to zone the quarry for employment.

As for the proposal that the quarry should become a (light) industrial area, a more feasible alternative (by the station) is also listed as a proposal in the Local Development Framework.

As such, it's worth following the link I gave in my previous posting which gives the mail, tel & email address which you need to contact to register objections to any or all of the proposals by Mon 18th August. The email is planning.policy@westoxon.gov.uk. Jon Carpenter gives a more personalised email address also on his blog.

And, yes, Jon's right it's not that surprising that Charlbury Town Council hasn't told us any of this--but it is surprising as far as other Town & District Councils are concerned. A Planning Officer on WODC whom I talked to indicated just how variable are the practices of Councils across the WODC area insofar as informing & consulting residents are concerned.

Wed 13 Aug 2008, 15:05

Possibly before this debate goes to far there is one thing that we all ought to remember about the quarry ,and that is that charlbury lost a good firefighter by the name of John wixey in a fire at the quarry many years ago .It was in the days that the quarry was working and whilst attending a fire in one of the storage sheds an explosion took place that took the life of one man and injured more .So before anyone makes any decision about what to do there consideration ought to be given to the fact that it is in a way a memorial site and should be treated as such.

Wed 13 Aug 2008, 14:39

Debate has raged for years about the quarry and its' future use. Whilst I appreciate the argument around its' value as a wildlife area, it is also very clear that Charlbury needs new affordable housing to keep young local people in the area. I would therefore be supportive of any such initiative. However, I am a realist, and know that if planning applications are approved for domestic use, it will probably be for £400K plus homes to attract people who want to move to the country and then complain about everything else that goes on in Charlbury!!

Wed 13 Aug 2008, 13:22

As a regular dog walker and user of the quarry I am disgusted. It seems to me that who ever owns the quarry is hoping by means of stealth to get these proposals through. I seem to remember that a couple of years ago they tried a similar tactic but can't now remember why it was overturned? The quarry has now turned into a beautiful wildlife haven and the thought of loosing it to yet more houses/offices is more than I can bear!

Am I wrong in thinking that there is some sort of statute that declares that a pathway if it has been used by the public for a certain amount of time can become a public right of way? Could this apply for the paths around the quarry or even the quarry itself?

I can't believe I am the only person devestated by the thought that we will loose the quarry? Is there anybody who has any knowledge as to how we can fight this? Why do we have a Town Council who sees fit to overlook or not consult their residents on such matters?

Wed 13 Aug 2008, 12:50

What isn't surprising is that no one knows.

Like many town/parish councils, Charlbury Town Council has no website. It has a page on this website (under 'Community') but it hardly uses it. There is a list of councillors by name, but with no phone numbers or email addresses except for the clerk. Ten of the 12 members are on email.

You can read minutes of council meetings in the library. I asked (on behalf of Charlbury Chamber of Trade) to go on the email list for minutes, but was told there is no such email list. Agendas and minutes only go in envelopes through doors. Is this a waste of (your) time and money?

The council can, if it wishes, easily keep you informed, but it chooses to do so in the most minimal way. Why not raise the matter with councillors, if you can work out how to contact them? It is not even a question of cost: the council could post information on a blog which would be updated by email at a moment's notice.

A lot of public consultation takes place on the assumption that, for example, if the County Council wants to consult residents of this area about the bus services and possibly cut routes or services, or if the District Council wants to consult on the Local Development Framework, it does so by consulting the parish council. The parish council then consults as it sees fit. Or not.

Wed 13 Aug 2008, 11:40

I'm also surprised by this. It appears from the plan that 2.31 hectares of the quarry are proposed for new housing, 2.3 hectares for employment and 0.98 hectares of land adjacent to the railway station for employment/business use. The map seems to show the entrance to the latter opposite the path to Walcot.

Wed 13 Aug 2008, 09:39

Perhaps it has something to do with the 2 planning proposals that are currently in for the Quarry under the Local Development Framework. The quarry owners have applied to have it zoned as housing (LDF 101) & Charlbury Town Council have put in a separate application for it to be zoned for employment (LDF 256).

I live nearby & have been amazed at the lack of consultation by Charlbury Town Council--or even information to local residents about this. It's Jon Carpenter's blog on Evenlode books that alerted me! Objections can be sent until Monday August 18th.

If you want to see what else is proposed go to www.westoxon.gov.uk/files/download/5661-3032.pdf

Tue 12 Aug 2008, 21:48

hi i live in chipping norton, popped over to charlbury this evening for a walk around the quarry and the entrance i would usually use was closed off .. does anyone know why ??