Madam,

I wish to reply to the letter by Ian Harries, managing director of Alltgoch Quarry in Cwrtnewydd, headlined Opponents a minority who have moved to area.

So Mr Harries is saying if you are a minority or haven’t lived in our village from birth then you have no rights to any opinions and concerns or a voice in which to express them?

I take this opportunity to remind him we live in a free democratic society called the United Kingdom where we are free to voice legitimate concerns and free to move and live peacefully wherever and without fear or favour.

When the quarry first announced its plans to start cement batching again - albeit via a telegraph pole up a country lane! - over 50 locals signed a petition against it.

We have concerns over road safety and the damage being caused to it. We have concerns over the river turning grey, unknown source as yet to be looked into by NRW.

Then we come to our most worrying problem of all - the dust. We strongly believe this has chemical compounds in it and we want it tested and proven otherwise.

It’s indefensible of Mr Harries to allow our tiny village to be besieged in this way with 50 to 100-plus lorries a day kicking up massive walls of dust and passing by a local school bus stop en route.

I know that concrete is being used at an alarming rate all over the world.

We see the manager’s response as lacklustre and not willing to come to a compromise. Yes, the quarry has made a nominal response to our concerns, having sent out a road sweeper on three or so times in the past four months.

I would, however, just like to point out a last point. None of us in the village want to see any jobs lost but see no reason why the concrete couldn’t be sourced elsewhere, as it was prior to being moved to Cwrtnewydd - with no problems at all -  thus eliminating the dust and fumes problem somewhat.

After all is said and done, we never wanted the batching plant. Nevertheless, it having been imposed on us, we were assured and promised that there would be minimal impact on the village and the dust would be kept under control. This has been proven to be totally the opposite.

The company ignored over 50 locals, not a minority telling them we never wanted the batching, and even though Mr Harries doesn’t live here we still respect he has opinions.

Is building wind turbines really that green or friendly? I, along with millions of others, don’t think so and if they are so efficient and fit for purpose then why all the subsidies and why will our bills get even higher as a result? All I see are divided communities all over the country as a result of both Brexit and wind farms. We have a duty to future generations to give them a better world and I fear we are falling well short of that.

Yours etc,

David Edwards, Cwrtnewydd.

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