‘Our beautiful village will be destroyed’: Fury and heartbreak over Hamble quarry planning appeal decision
Devastation and outrage have spread through the community following the decision to grant planning permission for a quarry on the former Hamble Airfield.
Paul Holmes, MP for Hamble Valley, said that the decision would cause “irreversible harm” to the local environment and damage “the fabric” of the community.
Mr Holmes, who has been among those against the plans, said: “I’m extremely disappointed by the Planning Inspector’s decision to approve the Hamble Quarry.
“This outcome risks causing irreversible harm to our local environment and damaging the fabric of our community.”
He added that Hampshire County Council had let the Hamble community down after “orchestrating” the appeal, and said he would discuss the matter with the involved groups to initiate a High Court case.
Mr Holmes said: “Hampshire County Council has let Hamble down in their decision to support the quarry, particularly after they orchestrated the appeal.
“Only the High Court can quash this decision, and I will be discussing the possibility of this action with Hamble Parish Council, Hamble Peninsular Residents Group, and other parties to look at whether such a legal challenge is feasible.
“This is not the end of the fight.”
Chair of the Hamble Peninsular Residents, Emma Westmacott, said the community is devastated by the decision.
She said: “Obviously we are devastated as a community and simply cannot understand how Hampshire County Council can have let this happen to a village they have described on their website as a ‘jewel’ of Hampshire.
“We have not had time to fully digest all of the decision material but will go through this with a fine toothcomb to understand how this conclusion has been reached.
“We are seeking advice from our legal team to understand our options and will the work out how as a community we will move forward.”
Chair of Hamble Parish Council, Chris Jones, also shared his “extreme disappointment”.
He said: “This outcome is not what we, or our residents, had hoped for, and we share the community’s deep concern about the impact this development will have on Hamble and the surrounding area.
“Over the coming days, we will work closely with the Residents’ Group and our legal team to carefully analyse the Inspector’s report.”
The proposals by Cemex to extract 250,000 tonnes of sand and gravel at the former Hamble Airfield site were initially rejected by Hampshire County Council in May 2024.
Cemex later appealed the decision, and after months of waiting, permission was granted by the Planning Inspectorate on October 16.
Other political figures, such as the leader of Eastleigh Borough Council, Keith House, said they were “shocked.
Mr House said: “The entire community has worked so well and hard together on this over the years.
“I am still shocked at the total duplicity and unacceptable way in which the County Planning Committee’s decision was overturned.”
On Facebook, residents shared their frustration and sadness over the “devastating news.”
One resident, June Brown, said: “This is devastating news, but not surprising. After all the hard work given by so many villagers to stop the quarry ruining our village, HCC don’t appear to be at all concerned about the health or financial loss to us all.”
Expressing her sadness, Caroline Richardson said: “I am literally in tears at this news. Our beautiful village will be destroyed. It’s outrageous how this could be approved. Money has definitely changed hands.”
Lisa Wellspring said: “My heart drops. This is absolutely gutting”
Sue Mongey said: “A sad day for us all, but particularly saddened for those who fought so hard for us.”