A wealthy property owner's proposal to enlarge a quarry on his Oxfordshire estate has sparked fierce resistance from villagers who warn the development would destroy precious agricultural land.
Nicholas Johnston, an Old Etonian multimillionaire and friend of former Prime Minister David Cameron, wants to expand the 81.5-acre quarry on his 3,500-acre Great Tew Estate to continue extracting clay and brown ironstone.
Residents of nearby Little Tew have mobilised against the scheme, fearing it would devastate the farmland separating their communities.
The village is preparing to submit formal objections to Oxfordshire County Council this week.
One unnamed local resident said: "It'll wipe the farmland out."
The proposed extension would consume approximately 34 acres of cultivated farmland, along with a section of existing woodland.
The site, located seven miles from Jeremy Clarkson's Diddly Squat farm shop in Chipping Norton, represents Britain's sole ironstone quarry producing specialised building and walling materials.
Planning consultants representing the estate maintain that the development would have minimal ecological consequences.
A wealthy property owner's proposal to enlarge a quarry on his Oxfordshire estate has sparked fierce resistance from villagers
|They have also pledged to rehabilitate the affected area by creating diverse habitats that combine woodland, hedgerows, grassland, and scrubland, with farmland at its centre.
The estate's advisers warn that current reserves will be depleted within two years, necessitating expansion to maintain supplies of this distinctive British building material for another decade or two.
The expansion faces potential derailment from an unexpected source: endangered snails inhabiting the area.
The Environment Agency has flagged serious concerns about threats to Desmoulin's whorl snails and narrow-mouthed whorl snails, both protected species, alongside risks to water quality in Deddington Brook.
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The Great Tew Estate extracts clay and brown ironstone
|The agency declared the extension presents an "unacceptable risk to the environment" in its assessment.
Officials demand comprehensive evidence regarding snail populations on the site, plus detailed protection strategies and habitat compensation plans before reconsidering their stance.
Environmental regulators have also requested additional safeguards for otters using local waterways.
The village recently celebrated defeating another wealthy developer's ambitions for their countryside.
The village recently celebrated defeating another wealthy developer's ambitions for their countryside
|American billionaire Ron Burkle, who founded Soho House, had sought permission to construct a grand country estate on Little Tew's agricultural land.
His elaborate proposals featured a manor house complete with a gun room, wine storage, stables, landscaped grounds, a swimming pool facility and solar panels, plus plans for an artificial lake.
Planning authorities rejected the scheme on Monday, citing inadequate architectural standards and concluding that the damage to Little Tew outweighed any economic benefits.
The decision followed vigorous opposition from villagers and heritage organisations, who were defending the rural community of 150 households.
GB News has contacted Mr Johnston’s Great Tew Estate for comment.
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