The Development Control and Regulatory Board is scheduled to meet on Thursday, 19 March 2026, to consider a range of planning matters. The primary focus of the meeting will be a significant application concerning Cloud Hill Quarry, alongside reports detailing delegated planning decisions, enforcement notices, and decisions on Tree Preservation Orders.

Cloud Hill Quarry Application

A key item on the agenda is a report concerning an application by Breedon Trading Ltd for a variation of condition 4 of planning permission 96/0139/07, relating to Cloud Hill Quarry¹ in Stocking Lane, DE73 8AN. The proposal seeks to revise the working scheme for the quarry due to a proposed southern extension, specifically to allow for deepening operations of the existing quarry void. The report recommends that permission be granted, subject to the completion of a Section 106 legal agreement to secure the operation of a quarry liaison committee and subject to conditions outlined in the appendix.

The report details that the application, under Section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, seeks to vary condition 2 of planning permission 2009/0939/07 to enable the deepening of the existing extraction void from -60.5 AOD to -145 AOD. This is estimated to release approximately 14.4 million tonnes of limestone, equating to about 9.6 years of operation at current extraction rates. The proposal does not involve new lateral extraction areas or additional plant, and the existing cessation date for mineral extraction of 21 February 2042 remains unchanged.

The report assesses the proposal against various planning policies, including the Leicestershire Minerals and Waste Local Plan (LMWLP) and the North West Leicestershire Local Plan (NWLLP). It highlights the importance of maintaining a steady and adequate supply of crushed rock for aggregate purposes as per Policy M4 of the LMWLP, noting that Leicestershire's Carboniferous Limestone landbank stood at only 9.71 years at the end of 2024, below the required level. Cloud Hill Quarry is identified as providing 75% of the county's productive capacity for this mineral type, and without the proposed deepening, the county would be unable to meet supply obligations.

Technical assessments included in the report cover landscape and visual impact, ecology and biodiversity, heritage and archaeology, traffic, access, noise, air quality, odour, hydrology, hydrogeology, and flood risk. The Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) concludes that the deepening within the existing void would result in minimal change to the landscape character. Natural England has confirmed that the deepening proposal would not damage designated features or compromise statutory conservation interests at the nearby Breedon Cloud Wood & Quarry SSSI. Ecological impacts are considered minimal, with existing operational controls in place to protect peregrine falcon nests.

The report also addresses concerns raised in a letter of representation regarding notification, proximity to properties, loss of woodland, increased noise and dust, traffic impacts, and broader community issues. The assessment concludes that the proposed development, being vertical rather than lateral, will not bring operations closer to residential properties or affect surrounding woodland and footpaths.

The recommendation is to permit the application, subject to conditions and a Section 106 agreement to establish a liaison committee.

Delegated Planning Decisions and Enforcement Notices

The Board will also receive reports on decisions made under delegated authority. This includes a schedule of Delegated Planning Decisions issued between July 2025 and December 2025, covering a range of applications such as variations to conditions at Severn Trent Water Limited's Snarestone Sewage Treatment Works, SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK Ltd's Lount Landfill Site, and various Tarmac Trading Limited sites including Lockington Quarry, Cadeby Quarry, and Shawell Quarry. The report also lists decisions for Leicestershire County Council school projects, including Greenstone Primary School, Beaumanor Hall, Hallam Fields Primary School, and Long Field School.

Additionally, a schedule of Delegated Enforcement Notices issued between July 2025 and December 2025 will be presented. This includes notices served on Mr Gary Elson and Mr J Marks at Cliffe House Farm, concerning the importation, processing, storage, deposition, and exportation of waste materials without planning permission. Another notice details a breach of planning control at Kingston Brook Farm, involving an unauthorised change of use to a mixed agricultural, residential, and waste facility, including the sorting, processing, and storage of waste soils and construction, demolition, and excavation (CD&E) wastes.

Tree Preservation Orders

Finally, the Board will review a list of Delegated Decisions made regarding works to trees protected by Leicestershire County Council Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) between July 1st, 2025, and December 31st, 2025. This includes numerous applications for tree pruning, felling, and crown reduction at various residential properties and public spaces across the county.