Brett Aggregates have said the company is "very disappointed" by Hertfordshire County Council’s decision to refuse planning permission for a quarry on the former site of Hatfield Aerodrome.

The company had submitted plans to extract eight million tonnes of sand and gravel from the site over the next 32 years.

But on Tuesday (October 31) the application was refused by a meeting of the county council’s development control committee – despite an officers’ recommendation that the plans should be allowed.

In a statement issued to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Brett Aggregates say they are ‘very disappointed’.

The company also pointed to the inclusion of the site in the council’s own minerals plan.

“We are very disappointed with the decision by the planning committee to refuse our revised application,” says the statement.

“Hatfield Aerodrome is identified for quarrying in the county’s minerals local plan and was recommended for approval by council planning officers.

“We will examine the reasons for refusal and we will consider our next steps.”

A previous application to quarry the site was refused in 2020 – when county councillors also went against the advice of council officers.

That application was subject to a Public Inquiry following an appeal by the applicant – but the councillors’ decision was upheld.

The county council has yet to publish a notice detailing the formal reasons for refusal for the latest application.

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A spokesperson for Hertfordshire County Council told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “The planning application put forward to our Development Control committee on October 31 for the former Hatfield Aerodrome was refused.

“The formal decision and reasons for refusal will be published in due course.”