The Bell quarry saga - a proposal to truck more than a million cubic metres of Sydney landfill through the little village at the top of the Mountains to an old quarry at Clarence - continues.
Despite being knocked back by a planning panel, the would-be developer has taken his case to the Land and Environment Court, which has allowed him to submit amended plans for the appeal.
One of the residents along Sandham Road in Bell, Dr Kevin Tuffin, said the plans would see 70 to 100 heavy vehicle movements going past his home every day, six days a week, for the next 15 years.
"That's a roaring behemoth sweeping past my front gate every six minutes."
Dr Tuffin scoffed at the offer to widen and seal Sandham Road, adding passing bays, to address concerns about dust and safety. The developer has earmarked $140,000 for the work.
"The road will become uninhabitable. Widening of the road will worsen noise by bringing the convoy of trucks and trailers closer to our homes."
In a letter of objection to Lithgow Council, Dr Tuffin also questioned why that council alone was considering the DA, which would have enormous impacts in parts of the Mountains.
"This should have been a joint Lithgow/Blue Mountains process," he wrote. "The human costs to be borne by the proposal fall on the residents of Bell, i.e. on those outside Lithgow's jurisdiction."
Dr Tuffin pointed out that, according to his property title, he owns the land running for approximately 450 metres along Sandham Road up to the current road itself and any widening on the residential side would intrude on to his property.
He concluded: "We all know that this is not a 'rehabilitation project'. It is profit-driven plan to dump the waste from Sydney's building mania in an out-of-sight location."
The residents of Bell have been battling the DA for more than four years. Kaye Whitbread, also on Sandham Road, said she was "beyond being upset - I'm bloody furious".
She said the amended plans would create health risks, contaminate her water supply and increase noise. One of the proposed passing bays would be just two metres from her garage.
"[It] will obstruct my vision, not to mention the noise from idling trucks waiting to pass, the noise as they slow down and accelerate away and the diesel particulates landing on my home and on my car."
Blue Mountains council opposes the quarry plans. It made a formal submission opposing the original DA back in 2019.
Blue Mountains mayor, Mark Greenhill, said he continues to oppose the proposal, as do colleagues on the newly elected council.
"Cr Suzie van Opdorp and I have discussed this and the community can be assured of our resolve.
"While it occurs under the jurisdiction of Lithgow Council, the impact is felt very keenly by Blue Mountains citizens.
"We will make a submission and we will do whatever we can to join the fight against this."
Submissions can be made to Lithgow Council until February 8.
