Langford will no longer bring land developer requests to sell gravel before council or committees, but has delegated decision-making to staff.

The city planner will authorize the sale of gravel from development properties, which can become stockpiled during the process of clearing land and blasting rock.

Since 2009, Langford issued two temporary use permits, one for property on Walfred Road and one on Happy Valley Road, to allow the developer to sell excess gravel.

Permit requests were brought before LangfordB次元官网网址檚 planning committee, where incensed neighbours complained blasting and crushing gravel was too disruptive and noisy.

B次元官网网址淲hen it was brought to committee, people thought they could stop the blasting or crushing, when they couldnB次元官网网址檛. It was a false process. We were getting the public in here who didnB次元官网网址檛 understand the process,B次元官网网址� said Coun. Denise Blackwell, chair of the planning committee.

B次元官网网址淲e kept explaining that we canB次元官网网址檛 stop the blasting and crushing. All we are doing is letting them sell (gravel) to get it off the property.B次元官网网址�

Intensive land development, such as crushing and blasting rock, is regulated by the province and WorkSafeBC. Langford officials point out that temporary use permits allow the City to regulate the scope of the operation, such as time of day and weekends.

Among the list of LangfordB次元官网网址檚 regulations for rock sales, blasting is limited to 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and Saturday, and crushing and rock removal is limited to 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Crushing canB次元官网网址檛 take place within 20 metres of a residential property.

Neighbours around a potential rock sales site must still be notified in writing three weeks before the permit is issued.