The Stop The Lea Castle Farm Quarry action group have been campaigning for years against the plans to transform land between Cookley and Wolverley into a quarry.
The Planning Inspectorate has quashed an appeal made by NRS aggregates against Worcestershire County Council’s decision to reject the proposal following a second public inquiry, which was held in November last year.
The action group was set up to oppose the plans, with campaigners raising concerns including the destruction of the “beautiful unspoilt countryside.”
Mike Lord, committee member of the Stop Lea Castle Farm Quarry action group, provided an update to residents and described it as “awesome news for our community”.
Addressing the action group’s Facebook page, he said that the company does have six weeks to ask for another judicial review and that more work has to be done to make sure the land “doesn’t end up as a preferred site on the Minerals Local Plan”.
He said: “We are on this already and we won’t take anything for granted until that final nail is in the coffin.
“In the meantime let’s enjoy our third victory on this all against the odds. What a result, what a community”.
Sue Williams said the appeal decision is “fantastic news.”
She said: “Well done everyone who has worked so hard to get this amazing result”.
Kayleigh Louise said: “Oh my gosh I’m in tears. What wonderful news.”
Roderick Shaw called it “absolutely the right result”.
He said: “Just shows that sometimes the opinions of little people can get heard”.
Rowan Robinson said: “It feels like we should have a street party”.
Becky Vale added: “I think that it just goes to show what can be achieved. Huge credit to the people who have organised the campaign and kept the momentum going. Phenomenal and an example to communities everywhere”.
The appeal scheme proposed the extraction of 3,000,000 tonnes of sand and gravel with progressive restoration over an 11-year period.
In a decision published on Thursday ( January 16), the planning inspector deemed that the proposed development is “inappropriate” in the green belt and would have an “adverse effect on the landscape character of the area.”
They said that this “outweighs the combined weight of the benefits of the appeal scheme” including economic benefits.