PRESS RELEASE - 22 February, 2005 - For immediate release

Surrey County Council give CAMEL the hump

Residents in Mole Valley have submitted, ahead of the deadline of 28 February, its technical report to Surrey County Council on the proposed Surrey Minerals Development Framework. If the framework is approved, it could lead to well over 100 acres of countryside between Dorking and Reigate being turned into open cast sand mines and landfill sites.

The report has been produced by residents under the banner of the Campaign Against Mineral Extraction and Landfill (CAMEL) and its planning and environmental advisors RPS plc. Covering the key designated areas at Betchworth Common Field and Shagbrook, Reigate Heath, the report highlights a number of key issues which Surrey County Council need to consider properly.

Critical to the proposed development is the County Council's apparent disregard for guidelines set by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) which is at the heart of the mineral extraction plan. According to the guidelines, Surrey County Council should produce detailed plans based on sound research to determine the full effects and environmental impacts. A recent meeting with officers of the Council indicated that the Council were unlikely to prepare such detailed plans in the future.

The County Council's reluctance to commission accurate and detailed reports for the Betchworth and Shagbrook could also be in contravention of statue law on the environment, which requires a full environmental impact assessment to be made taking into consideration the short and long term impact of their proposals.

Additionally, the report highlights the finite nature of the reserves which are clearly not conducive to a sustainable environmental policy.

CAMEL said, "The report, covering Betchworth and Shagbrook, is extensive and hard hitting and underlines the inappropriate action of the Council in making such environmentally devastating decisions without proper and full assessments."
"The disgrace is that it has been up to the residents from Dorking to Reigate to take the Council to task by spending considerable money and resource to fight ill considered and potentially illegal proposals."

Final comments from residents must be received by Surrey County Council before February 28th and can be sent to: Minerals Local Plan Team, Surrey County Council, County Hall, Kingston-upon-Thames KT1 2DY

Notes to editors

Picture Caption:
Left to right: Nick Snook (Deputy Chairman CAMEL Shagbrook), William Snook, Peter Shakeshaft (Chairman CAMEL), Paul Tanner (Deputy Chairman CAMEL Betchworth), Corky Gormly and 'Mo' the camel

CAMEL
Campaign Against Mineral Extraction and Landfill is the action group formed by residents of Betchworth, Buckland and Brockham to resist plans by Surrey County Council to extract sand from open cast mines at the Common Field, Betchworth (OS Ref: TQ 207 501) and Shagbrook, Buckland (OS Ref: TQ 232 504). It is a voluntary organisation and comprises a range of professionals living and working in the area.
Peter Shakeshaft, Chairman
Paul Tanner, Deputy Chairman Betchworth Common Field
Nicholas Snook, Deputy Chairman Shagbrook, Buckland
David Evans, Treasurer

RPS Group plc
RPS Group have been commissioned by CAMEL to prepare technical reports against proposed open cast sand mines at Betchworth and Buckland. The company is Europe's leading environmental consultancy, providing advice in respect of development planning, transport planning, environmental assessment, risk management, water services, oil and gas expertise, health and safety and environmental engineering.

For further information please contact:
Nick Caddick 07970 884003