CONCERNS over sand extraction in Whitehill and Bordon increased this week, as it was alleged that Hampshire County Council's environment department "refuses to listen" to the views of local residents and their elected councillors" Following correspondence between county councillor Adam Carew and the head of the environment department, Mr Carew hit out at the plans. A map circulated to a number of residents has been widely criticised as it details highly controversial plans to mine out ecologically sensitive green spaces around the town including the Walldown Triangle, Hollywater, Standford. But in a letter to Mr Carew dated February 7. The county council's director of environment Alison Quant stated that she "does not agree that it is necessary to eliminate all consideration of mineral extraction," and as "it would take a number of years to build up to 5,000 homes" mineral extraction could be worked into the programme. Mr Carew said: "It may well be possible to extract some soft sand prior to development, but our concern is that it would have a major impact on the phasing of the regeneration and the cumulative effects could reduce the town to one giant sand pit. "Its clear from the controversial map they were using that the county's environment department are woefully misinformed as to which areas could actually be coming up for development. County should now refer to East Hampshire District Council's core strategy for Whitehill-Bordon instead. "The county's whole minerals consultation has been something of a farce from beginning to end – very few residents have actually been consulted and it is only now people are waking up to the county's controversial plans to mine out Whitehill and Bordon in addition to the three massive sand pits planned for Kingsley." A council spokesman responded to the claims by saying: "The county council notes Mr Carew's comments, many of which he has previously discussed with officers, and he has received answers to the points he makes. "The county council is still considering the representations to our consultation - some 12,000 of them. There will, of course, be further consultation and an examination in public, later in the process. "The county council notes that Mr Carew is seeking an urgent meeting and we will be happy to accommodate this if he wishes to get in touch." Mr Carew concluded: "We are sitting on a lot of sand here and we accept that some of it will have to be extracted, but the county council must understand that the people of Whitehill and Bordon do not want to live in one giant sand pit! "That is clearly understood by county officers involved in the Whitehill-Bordon Opportunity, but not it seems by the county's environment eepartment and minerals team."
