Purple Haze news
Breaking news
Our reflections on the Purple Haze Public Hearing held 9th September 2025
Central to the Hearing was what the Secretary of State-appointed Planning Inspector now requires. The whole Hearing, which was on-line with the Planning Inspector and multiple remote participants, was recorded and you can watch by clicking the links below.
Purple Haze Hearing part 1. Purple Haze Hearing part 2
After weeks of preparation, Hearing Day finally dawned and the invited participants representing Verwood-based interest groups, including Friends of Ringwood Forest (FoRF), gathered in the Town Council Offices together with the Barrister (in person) and the Hydrologist (online) who had both been engaged by Verwood Town Council (VTC).
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During the Hearing, this group would also safeguard the interests of the East Dorset Environment Partnership (EDEP) whose representative had worked collaboratively and tirelessly with individual members beforehand. VTC was represented by Councillors Carol Traves & Spencer Flower. And so the Hearing got underway . . . here's what happened . . .
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Previous news . . .
A second public Hearing, this time devoted solely to Purple Haze..
A Public Hearing, devoted solely to Purple Haze, took place on Tuesday 9th of September. The one-day Hearing was called for by the Planning Inspector, appointed by the Secretary of State, in order to address questions and evidence relating to the inclusion of Purple Haze as a quarry site in Hampshire County Council's Minerals and Waste Plan.
Of those legal, technical and environmental experts providing evidence to the Hearing, we estimate that at least 50% were participating with the objective of having the Purple Haze site removed from the Minerals and Waste Plan. We feel that this is a significant plus for our campaign. Friends of Ringwood Forest, Britt Poyntz, participated in the Hearing and you can read her submission to the Hearing here. Her briefing re. the meeting will be published shortly.
What was discussed at the hearing – in our view – supports our conclusion that saying 'NO' to Purple Haze is still the right thing to do. Let's hope the Planning Inspector comes to the same conclusion. His report gets published before the end of this year.​
Verwood council announces important legal move
Government Planning Inspector sets new Public Hearing for September
The Secretary of State Planning Inspector is currently reviewing Hampshire County Council's Minerals & Waste Plan, in respect of its soundness. This includes considering the soundness of allocating particular sites (including Purple Haze) for sand quarrying. The Planning Inspector has unexpectedly called for another Public Hearing. The Hearing, on 9th September, will be virtual*, allowing invitees to present information and ask or answer questions remotely. Importantly for Purple Haze campaigners, the sole topic of the Hearing is Purple Haze, specifically, potential impacts on Ebblake Bog (pictured above). The public will be able to listen to the Hearing live or later. Friends of Ringwood Forest will be one of the participants. It is expected that the Hearing will enable the Planning Inspector to complete his report by the end of the year.​
* A virtual meeting is one that takes place over the internet, allowing participants from different locations to interact in real-time using video, audio, and text-based communication tools.
Hampshire County Council publishes hydrology report which could influence Purple Haze decision
Hampshire County Council (HCC) has just published a report that it commissioned to review the environmental impact of hydrology as a result of quarrying at Purple Haze. Natural England, a major objector to the Purple Haze project, had raised concern over how hydrology (including changing water flows) could impact Ebblake Bog. The bog is one of the most important environmental areas of its type in Europe and is considered to be especially sensitive to contamination from external water sources. Environmental impact on Ebblake Bog is one of the multiple issues raised by both the public and expert groups. As a result of this new planning development, we think Hydrology is emerging as one of the dominant issues affecting whether or not HCC will withdraw Purple Haze as an allocated quarrying site in its Minerals & Waste Plan.​
* Hydrology is the scientific study of water, encompassing its occurrence, distribution, movement, and properties on, above, and below the Earth's surface. It essentially examines the water cycle and its interactions with the environment, including human, animal and plant species.
​Click here to view relevant new documents available to us at this time.
Friends of Ringwood Forest is gearing up for the Public Hearing
Click here to learn what we're up to!
In case you missed it
In 2023 HCC called for a public consultation relating to the quarry development at Purple Haze which invoked multiple objections from the public, local councils, environmental groups and national regulatory bodies.
At the beginning of 2025, the Secretary of State appointed a Planning Inspector to conduct an independent and impartial examination of Hampshire County Council's (HCC) Minerals & Waste Plan – a process that is still underway, as described above.​​​
​In February this year the Inspector called a Public hearing in Winchester which was attended by all interested parties, including us, Friends of Ringwood Forest.
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Our campaign
We are as resolved as ever to stop development of a quarry at Purple Haze. We leave you with the famous quote by John Crittenden Sawhill – who was president of The Nature Conservancy – as a reminder to our supporters of why continuing to oppose the development of Purple Haze is absolutely the right thing to do
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. . . A society is defined not only by what it creates, but by what it refuses to destroy.
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The current planning process in detail
The principle outcome of the process that follows the Planning Inspector's examination will be whether or not Hampshire County Council's Minerals & Waste Plan (as currently modified in a 'Partial Update') is sound. Included in this is the soundness of allocating particular quarry or land-fill sites – including Purple Haze – to be included in the Plan. The Plan, updated with modifications arising from the Planning Inspector's examination, will then go through a process of adoption by the full Hampshire County Council. If included in the Plan, Purple Haze, as a quarry, can only proceed on the approval of an associated Planning Application which is currently on hold. At this point, members of the public – that means you, our readers – can then be involved in the process (again). Thus, the Council's Planning department gets to make the final decision. Only after Planning Approval, could the quarry developer, Grundon, begin excavation and infrastructure works at Purple Haze.
The Planning Inspector has yet to publish the questions, matters and Issues which the September Hearing will address. The the hydrology protection concerns highlighted by the report referenced above will no doubt be a central focus.
Spencer Flower (for Verwood Town Council) has suggested that Friends of Ringwood Forest and the East Dorset Environmental Panel (EDEP) leaders get together with him before the Hearing. His aim is to avoid duplicating responses during the Hearing.
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