'Don't wake up the inmates!' - Market Drayton quarry to limit operating hours to 'avoid waking prisoners up on Saturdays'
The firm behind a planned quarry extension has agreed to limit its Saturday operating hours to avoid waking neighbouring prisoners up.
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Grundon Sand & Gravel applied for permission extend its quarry in Tern Hill, Market Drayton, last August.
Since then it has undergone a consultation and received responses from a number or organisations.
One of those was the Ministry of Justice's Prison and Probation Service - on behalf of HMP Stoke Heath, which sits next to the site.
The site is a category C prison and Young Offenders Institution.
In a letter last year it asked that operating hours at proposed quarry extension were limited on Saturdays to avoid disruption to prisoners' sleep.
It asked that work start no earlier than 9am - instead of at 7am as previously proposed.
Cushman & Wakefield on behalf of HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) wrote: "HMPPS have particular concerns regarding the proposed hours of working on Saturdays where operations are expected to take place from 7am – 1pm.
"From Monday – Friday prisoners are woken up at 7.30am for activities at the establishment which includes the employment opportunities that some of the prisoners are involved in.
"On Saturdays, prisoners are permitted to sleep in beyond 7.30am.
"HMPPS are therefore concerned that prisoners are likely to experience some level of disruption to their sleep from the operations taking place on Saturdays from 7am and this could potentially impact on their amenity and quality of life.
"As such, it is respectfully requested that the applicant considers amending the proposed working hours on Saturdays to start at the later time of 9am."
The letter also asked for Shropshire Council to make sure that conditions provided with the planning permission prevent any Sunday working taking place.
In a response provided this week planning consultants acting on behalf of the applicants said they were prepared to agree the change.
The letter states: "We note the comments from Cushman & Wakefield who submitted a response on behalf of the MoJ’s HM Prison & Probation Service in relation to working hours on Saturdays and regular liaison meetings.
"After careful consideration, the applicant is willing to compromise the proposed working hours to start extraction and fill operations no earlier than 9am on Saturdays in response to the MoJ request."
A decision on the application will be taken at a later date.
