Former Northamptonshire quarry to become angling site

Years of work to transform a former quarry into a coarse fishing site will not go to waste after a new owner bought the land and vowed to press on with plans.
Paul ClaysonPaul Clayson
Paul Clayson

The former Astwick Quarry site in Northamptonshire has been purchased by Graham Churchill Plant Limited in a sale overseen by rural agent Fisher German.

The site has been the subject of ongoing work and complex planning negotiations for a number of years after being used to provide stone for the M40 towards the end of the 1980s.

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Fisher German has overseen ownership changes at the site in Croughton since then in a bid to regenerate the land so it can be used for recreation.

Carp anglers will be pleased to hear promises of the new owners of the former Aswick Quarry, just outside of Croughton.Carp anglers will be pleased to hear promises of the new owners of the former Aswick Quarry, just outside of Croughton.
Carp anglers will be pleased to hear promises of the new owners of the former Aswick Quarry, just outside of Croughton.

The scheme came to life around 2010 when planning consent was granted to de-fish, de-water and fill the 18 acre former quarry site with between 250,000 and 300,000 tonnes of inert waste so the plans could move forward.

Around six of the 18 acres on site are to be filled with water and the end result will be a series of three carp lakes complemented by fishing platforms, a fisherman’s hut, landscaping and roading.

Karen Henson, director at the company, said: “We are pleased to have purchased the site, it was a good opportunity for us and Fisher German was really helpful throughout the process.

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“It is still early days for us so a finishing date and more specifics on how the site will be run are some way off being set.”

Carp anglers will be pleased to hear promises of the new owners of the former Aswick Quarry, just outside of Croughton.Carp anglers will be pleased to hear promises of the new owners of the former Aswick Quarry, just outside of Croughton.
Carp anglers will be pleased to hear promises of the new owners of the former Aswick Quarry, just outside of Croughton.

Despite time running out on the three year limit to complete the work, meaning planning consent would have to be secured again, Paul Clayson, who works at the rural agent’s

Banbury offices, continued to push for the plan to be followed through, leading to the latest sale of the land to Graham Churchill Plant Limited, who will carry on with the transformation work.

Speaking on his role in the sale, Clayson said: “It is great for Fisher German to have facilitated the sale of course, but it is also great news for lovers of fishing and people in the

area surrounding the site that this project is progressing.

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“Getting the consent in the first place was a remarkable feat. A lease was then entered into with a reputable and local muck shifter on a royalty basis.

“However, the planning consent ran out before the site could be fully filled and the clients were then forced to submit another planning application for a new scheme, to finish the site

or face enforcement action with all its consequences.

“After a hard-fought battle, an extension for three years was obtained subject to a lot of new conditions.

“Having received quite a good income for the fill to date, the clients decided that if the operator would purchase the site, they would be happy to sell and walk away leaving him to finish the site off to his specification.

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“I am pleased to say that we have now negotiated a successful sale.”

Fisher German LLP is a leading national firm of chartered surveyors and specialist property consultants. The firm offers professional services and support in all aspects of land and

property management.