About a month ago, I wrote a letter to Norfolk County Council asking about their policy regarding compensation for home-owners who will suffer a significant loss of property value if this quarry goes ahead.

I reasoned with NCC that the vast majority of the community have made it known that they do not want this quarry. So if it goes ahead, and their properties drop in value, then this can be considered as an act of vandalism against their properties.
It's no different to kicking the doors and headlights in on someone's brand new car, after they've specifically asked you not to.

So what was Norfolk County Council's answer to my perfectly reasonable question?

"Norfolk County Council will not be compensating the owners of properties that are near to proposed quarries or quarries that receive planning permission"

In other words, "We're forcing a situation upon you, against your will, that will hit you hard in the pocket and damage your finances. We don't care about your losses because you're insignificant."

Hardly sounds like a caring sharing organization, does it?

Norfolk County Council then went on to say "Whilst NCC writes the Minerals & Waste Local Development Framework and determines the planning applications for minerals development, we are not the developer of the minerals sites".

That sounds a lot like buck passing to me.
Whether they're the developer or not, they are still the organization that's responsible for saying which sites will and will not get permission for quarrying.
If Norfolk County Council say NO to MIN93, then developers will not be allowed to dig a quarry, and therefore property prices will not be affected.
If Norfolk County Council say YES to MIN93, then developers will be allowed to dig a quarry, and therefore property prices will be affected.

In simple terms, Norfolk County Council are the organization who are responsible for the drop in property values if this quarry goes ahead, as they have the power to stop the whole MIN93 process now before it goes any further.

Is it right or fair that they should be allowed to shirk their responsibilities in this blatant way?