Since we posted 3 weeks ago: 'Countdown: one week to go for Examiner's verdict on Wicklesham Quarry', nothing has been heard from the Independent Examiner of Faringdon Neighbourhood Plan. Andrew Ashcroft's report on whether the Plan meets the 'Basic Conditions' was due to be published on 1st August. When we received no response to our request for a public oral hearing on Wicklesham Quarry, we wrote to the Examiner quoting the definition of 'County matters', making our objection on these grounds crystal clear. Any land use which would obstruct or prevent the restoration of a former mineral working, where a planning condition for restoration exists, is a County matter, and is excluded from Neighbourhood Planning. This is one of the 'Basic Conditions' that the Neighbourhood Plan fails to meet. We cannot envisage any reason why Mr Ashcroft would allow Faringdon Council to bypass planning rules and safeguards, and permit the destruction of one of Britain's richest palaeontological sites, which is also a Conservation Target Area and hosts European Protected Species and Priority Habitat. Supporters of the campaign to PROTECT WICKLESHAM QUARRY FROM DEVELOPMENT sent Mr Ashcroft the report by Oxfordshire County Council Deputy Director Bev Hindle, in which he states that the County Council has: “ a clear responsibility to seek to ensure that in granting any mineral permission, it is of primary importance for the environment that provision is made for the satisfactory restoration of the site”. Mr Hindle quotes the Council's obligation under Section 13 of the National Planning Policy Framework, to: '“provide for restoration and aftercare at the earliest opportunity to be carried out to high environmental standards, through the application of appropriate conditions, where necessary.” At long last the Deputy Director has imposed strict conditions on Grundon Ltd to force them to implement the restoration plan, which has been held up for the past 6 years as the landowner has looked for ways to avoid meeting the planning conditions, and instead make more money from the quarry by concreting it over for warehousing, destroying its unique geo- and biodiversity. We believe that our objections, which pointed out numerous critical omissions and misrepresentations relating to Wicklesham Quarry, were the reason why the original Examiner of the Neighbourhood Plan in 2014 stood down, and declared he was unable to examine it. As soon as the report is published a further update will be sent to our many loyal supporters. Thank you once again for your support in helping to protect our unique natural and scientific heritage.