20/05/2026
Wallingford Town Council is disappointed that planning permission has now been granted for the proposed White Cross Farm Quarry in Cholsey following the outcome of the appeal by London Rock Supplies Ltd.
Both Wallingford Town Council and Cholsey Parish Council objected to the proposals, alongside Oxfordshire County Council, which originally refused the application. During the Planning Inquiry, the Wallingford Neighbourhood Planning Steering Group, together with representatives from Cholsey Parish Council, worked extensively to research, prepare and present evidence challenging the proposals and raising concerns about the impact on the landscape, the River Thames corridor, the Thames Path, traffic, noise and the wider local environment.
The Inspector acknowledged concerns raised by the local councils and residents regarding the impact of the development, however, the appeal decision concluded that these impacts could be managed through a series of planning conditions and mitigation measures.
Conditions include:
⢠No working on Sundays or Bank Holidays
⢠Limits on HGV movements
⢠White noise reversing alarms to reduce disturbance
⢠Wheel-cleaning facilities to prevent mud on roads
⢠Screening bunds, willow planting and riverbank buffer zones
Despite the objections raised, the Planning Inspector concluded that the perceived need for sand and gravel extraction within Oxfordshire outweighed the concerns identified, and the appeal has therefore been allowed.
The approved scheme will allow the extraction of approximately 550,000 tonnes of sand and gravel over a five-year period, followed by a further year of restoration works.
Image: Google
