A public consultation has been launched online for the proposed development of land known as Purple Haze.

The area, south of Verwood, along the B3081 Verwood Road towards Ringwood, may be used for the extraction of building sand and restoration with enhanced biodiversity by Grundon Sand & Gravel. The proposed development does not include any landfill.

Following its initial consultation in March 2019 – and in line with Government guidelines on public consultation events – the second stage consultation is being carried out online so people see more information on the scheme.

If the quarry went ahead, roadside trees along the B3081 would be retained and enhanced by further planting creating a visual buffer.

The sand processing and stock area would be some three metres below ground level, with a two-metre high soil store to provide a visual screen to the area.

A new site access would be provided on the B3081 opposite the Somerley household waste recycling site. Creating a new junction here could also improve access to the Somerley household recycling site.

A number of options were considered – a conventional junction, traffic lights and a roundabout.

Stewart Mitchell, Grundon’s Estates Manager, explains the thinking behind this approach: “During this difficult time for everyone, the Government is encouraging developers to carry out online public consultations, so the planning system for future development doesn’t come to a standstill.

“To keep our application moving forward, we are holding our public consultation online. Instead of the usual 1 or 2 day event, the consultation will run for three weeks until Friday 7 August 2020 at purplehazequarry.com.

“We will review feedback throughout the consultation period and update our Frequently Asked Questions section as appropriate. When everything is complete, we will submit our planning application – which will be accompanied by an Environmental Impact Assessment and Non-Technical Summary – to Hampshire County Council.

“The planning officers and their external consultants will review our application in detail and will consult with the public before any decision is made.

“We look forward to receiving feedback from the local community once our consultation period opens.”

Visit the consultation here.