00:00Sunlight pouring through the canopy of ancient woodland now under threat.
00:05A new mineral plan from Kent County Council, currently under consultation, could see more
00:11than 40 hectares of oak and wood cleared away for the expansion of the nearby hermitage
00:18quarry.
00:18You know, only 2.5% of the land cover in England is ancient woodland, it's irreplaceable.
00:25It's been here hundreds of years and what has sort of evolved together in that time is
00:32totally unique.
00:33One of the big reasons campaigners feel so strongly about this woodland is simply because of how
00:39old it is.
00:41Oak and wood has existed in some form or other since the 1600s.
00:46The sweet chestnut caucuses let light flood the woodland floor, that's a boon for biodiversity
00:53and campaigners say all of that could be lost if the mineral plan goes ahead.
00:59We have so much overdevelopment in the locality.
01:03Where is the wildlife actually going to go?
01:05Where are the children going to play?
01:07Where are the people going to cycle off the roads?
01:10Where are families going to gather together?
01:12Where are people struggling with their mental health going to be able to go to find solace?
01:16Yes.
01:17The quarry run by Gallagher mines Kentish Ragstone, a material used in heritage buildings and construction.
01:25The county is facing a 17 million tonne shortfall in Ragstone and the company says alternative
01:32sources of the stone aren't economically viable.
01:37If the site isn't expanded, Gallagher warns imports from abroad will have to be used, resulting
01:43in significant amounts of carbon dioxide emissions.
01:47We are offering twice as much woodland in compensation to add to that process.
01:56So we are very confident that we can operate in a very sustainable way.
02:02Effectively, we have worked out as nine moat parks would have to be planted in with broadleaf
02:06woodland to compensate for the additional carbon that would be created as a result of hermages
02:12not existing.
02:13The draft plans were pushed through at KCC last month.
02:17The authority is now getting feedback from the public before going to the planning inspectorate
02:23for an independent decision.
02:26The deadline for feedback is the 10th of September and the next month will prove crucial in what
02:32happens next to these woods.
02:34Oli Lieder outside Maidstone.
02:36keep the team updated.
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