Whitburn Neighbourhood Forum

17/06/2026

Residents' meeting on the quarry
📢 When: Saturday, 27th June at 9:00 AM
Where: The Barnes Institute

Following correspondence between residents and the MP, local residents are holding a meeting to prepare for upcoming discussion with the quarry operators.

This meeting will be used to align core talking points and ensure residents present a unified, constructive voice.

Key evidence will be reviewed to structure the agenda, specifically focusing on:

Air Quality Oversight: Reviewing the data regarding dust levels near the school (which recorded peak readings of 401.6 mg/m²/day) to discuss demand for independent chemical analysis for silica and asbestos.

Water & Waste Safeguards: Looking at the deep excavation risks to the local aquifer. Discussion to establishing clear terms for continuous, independent monitoring of any infill material to guarantee that only strictly inert waste is brought to the site.

Ecological Protections: Reviewing the recent ecological findings regarding protected species (like the breeding Peregrine Falcons and potential Great Crested Newt habitats) to ensure the operators strictly adhere to their mandatory seasonal and environmental mitigation windows.

Meeting Objective:
To agree on a clear, professional set of demands and questions so that the residents' meeting with the operators is highly organised and effective.

04/05/2026

An application was made to extend quarrying and infilling at Masrden quarry by 5-7 years. We have responded to the application outlining concerns and asking for further assessment of traffic, dust, and environmental impacts. We also ask that a full application is made to consider these impacts and allow the application to be discussed publicly at planning committee.

Read the full summary and view our full response on the website: https://www.whitburnforum.co.uk/news/application-to-extend-quarrying-and-infilling-at-marsden-quarry

04/05/2026

Vet warns dog owners about high levels of harmful bacteria on beach and calls for action from water companies. Find out more below.

04/05/2026

08/04/2026

A new planning application has been submitted to extend operations at Marsden Quarry by a further five years. It also proposes to legalise where quarrying took place outside the permitted boundary. The Forum has three main concerns:
1️⃣ Boundary change via a condition (Section 73): The application seeks to “regularise” quarrying outside the approved boundary by changing a condition, rather than submitting a full application. This raises concerns that the proposal is being processed in a way that avoids full scrutiny, including bypassing Planning Committee.
2️⃣ No full Transport Assessment was done: This ignores the fact that without this application, HGV movements would stop after 2027. Instead, up to 300+ lorry movements per day would continue for several more years. We believe this should be treated as significant and properly assessed.
3️⃣ No assessment of impacts on human health: Despite clear links between quarrying and issues like dust, noise and traffic, there is no specific assessment of impacts on people’s health, which is commonly included in similar applications through an Environmental Statement.
We are asking the Council to clarify these points and ensure the application is properly assessed.

08/04/2026

'We accept some don't like it' - resident pushback on Marsden Quarry plans

24/03/2026

Two days left to comment on the proposed 205 houses surrounding Marsden Primary School! The deadline is 25 March. The Forum has submitted its 35-page objection. Find out more on: https://www.whitburnforum.co.uk/news/whitburn-neighbourhood-forum-objects-to-mill-lane-development

Don't forget to have your own say as well!

Search 260049 on https://planning.southtyneside.info/Northgate/PlanningExplorer/ApplicationSearch.aspx or email: [email protected] with the reference (260049) and your name and address.

Whitburn Neighbourhood Forum has submitted a formal objection to the proposed development of 205 homes on land at Mill Lane. We have carried out a detailed and evidence-based review of the...

18/03/2026

Just one week to go (25 March) to submit comments on the proposal to build 205 houses on the land that has been designated as a locally important landscape for Whitburn and its community. Go to https://planning.southtyneside.info/Northgate/PlanningExplorer/ApplicationSearch.aspx and search for application 260049.

18/03/2026

❗ The deadline for comments on the application to build 205 houses on the fields surrounding Marsden Primary School has been extended to 25 March❗Go to https://planning.southtyneside.info/Northgate/PlanningExplorer/ApplicationSearch.aspx and search for application 260049

09/03/2026

❗ The deadline for comments on the application to build 205 houses on the fields surrounding Marsden Primary School has been extended to 25 March❗Go to https://planning.southtyneside.info/Northgate/PlanningExplorer/ApplicationSearch.aspx and search for application 260049.