Kent County Council did not approve quarrying, leader confirms

No quarrying has been approved. That’s the central message from Kent County Council Leader Linden Kemkaran, after confusion arose over what Full Council actually decided about the Kent Mineral Sites Plan. The council voted to submit the Plan to the Government’s Planning Inspectorate for independent examination — a step in the plan-making process, not a green light for any specific quarry.

Kemkaran was blunt: “The key fact is that Full Council did not vote to approve quarrying.” According to Kemkaran, no planning permission has been granted and no quarry extension has been approved. The Leader also made clear that getting a site listed in the Plan does not itself give anyone the right to begin mineral extraction — a separate planning application would still be required before any extraction could take place.

Hermitage Quarry sits at the heart of the row. It throws up two competing pressures: keeping a steady supply of minerals flowing to support construction across Kent, the South East and London, and protecting ancient woodland and the local environment. The Full Council vote did not resolve either of those questions.

Before anything goes to the Inspectorate, there’ll be a six-week public consultation this summer. Comments submitted in that window will be passed directly to the Inspector and factored into the examination. After that, the Inspectorate will test the evidence on environmental impacts, mineral need, alternative sites, and concerns raised by residents and community groups.

And even if a site survives examination, that’s still not the end of it. Any future quarry extension would require a fresh planning application, detailed environmental assessments, further public consultation, and a separate planning decision. Multiple hurdles still to clear.

KCC acknowledges many people feel strongly about the proposals — particularly where ancient woodland is concerned — and says those concerns will form part of the evidence considered during examination.

Key information

• Six-week public consultation on the Kent Mineral Sites Plan will take place this summer, before the Plan is submitted to the Planning Inspectorate
• Comments submitted during the consultation will be forwarded to the Inspector and considered in the independent examination
• Any future quarry extension at Hermitage Quarry would still require a separate planning application, further public consultation, and a separate planning decision
• The Government’s Planning Inspectorate — not Kent County Council — will make recommendations after assessing whether the Plan is justified and legally sound