In approving continued operations at the quarry, The Welsh Ministers were satisfied that blasting could be controlled so as to comply with the limits set out in current national planning policy Minerals Technical Advice Note (MTAN) 1: aggregates. This is achieved through the application of planning conditions setting upper acceptable limits for noise and vibration. Specifically, these require:
Blasting is only to take place at the quarry between 1000 and 1600 hours Monday to Friday and not at all on Saturday Sunday and Bank Holidays, (other than in an emergency).
Each individual blast is to be monitored in accordance with the agreed blast monitoring scheme with all monitoring undertaken in accordance with the terms of the scheme.
No secondary blasting is to be carried out at the site.
All individual blasts are to be designed managed and implemented to minimise the extent of air overpressure resulting from the blast. If air overpressure exceeds 120db, at any nearby sensitive residential property the Local Planning Authority are to be informed within 7 days and the design management and implementation of blasts to be reviewed prior to any further blasting taking place, with future blasting being undertaken in accordance with the findings of the review.
Please also note:
- Blasting times are to be clearly advertised at the quarry.
- A warning audible at the site boundary shall be sounded before and after blasting.
- Blasting times shall be clearly advertised on the operator’s website at least 24 hours in advance of blasting occurring
- Blasting shall be advertised on social media channels at least 24 hours in advance of blasting occurring.
Complaints Regarding Blasting by Heidelberg.
Each time there is a blast at the quarry, the Council receives a number of complaints from local residents. While this is understandable and to be expected, it is worth highlighting the boundaries within which blasting must take place.
These are set out in the Decision Notice (the appeal decision) and, in particular, Conditions 22 & 26 refer. These state:
22. Blasting shall be undertaken in such a manner to ensure that ground vibration at any vibration sensitive building, measured as a maximum of three mutually perpendicular directions taken at the ground surface, does not exceed a peak particle velocity (ppv) of 6mms per second in 95% of all blasts measured over any continuous 6-month period, and no single blast shall exceed a ppv of 10mms per second. The measurement is to be taken at or near the foundations of any vibration sensitive building in the vicinity of the quarry existing at the date of this permission.
Reason: To limit ground vibration from blasting operations so as to protect the amenities of local residents and the structure of buildings in accordance with Policies CS10 and AW10 of the Rhondda Cynon Taf Local Development Plan.
26. All individual blasts shall be designed, managed and implemented to minimise the extent of air overpressure resulting from blasts. If air overpressure exceeds 120dB at any nearby sensitive residential property (not owned by the applicant) the Local Planning Authority shall be informed within 7 days and the design, management and implementation of all blasts must be reviewed prior to any further blasting being undertaken at the site, with all future blasting being undertaken in accordance with the findings of the review.
Reason: To limit air overpressure from blasting operations so as to protect the amenities of local residents and the structure of buildings in accordance with Policies CS10 and AW10 of the Rhondda Cynon Taf Local Development Plan.
Therefore, the key measurements are 6mms per second (for 95% of all blasts) for PPV and 120dB for air overpressure (AOP).
Since October 2024, blasts at Craig yr Hesg have been independently monitored for RCT by the Minerals Team at Carmarthenshire Council. Details of the blasts (including the above data), along with the independent verifications, are published on the Council’s dedicated Craig yr Hesg webpage. Details of the latest blast and verification is normally provided within a few days of the event. If there are any areas of interest or concern arising from a blast, a commentary is normally made at the end of the results.
While the Council are happy to receive complaints in respect of any blast, it is not possible to respond individually to each complaint. To consider the need for taking Enforcement Action, the parameters identified by the two conditions listed above must be exceeded. A blast complaint reference number will be given to each blast event.
Craig Yr Hesg Blasting Database (redacted)
Please note the blasting datasheet below is provided by Heidelberg Materials and will be uploaded as soon as practicable after it has been received, redacted and translated.