Stanton Moor

A quarrying company has been refused permission to extend one of its sites in the Peak District in Derbyshire.

New Pilhough Quarry, near Stanton-in-Peak, which covers 14.5 acres (six hectares), would have been increased by more than two acres (one hectare).

Owners Blockstone Ltd offered to exchange its rights to another quarry, on an Iron Age archaeological site.

The Peak District National Park Authority said the extra stone being proposed for extraction was too high.

If the plans had gone ahead it would have enabled the company to extract a further 146,970 tonnes of sandstone by 2022, said the authority.

It added that permission to extend New Pilhough Quarry was not a fair exchange for Stanton Moor Quarry, where 67,500 tonnes of stone could potentially be extracted.

John Herbert, chair of the Peak District National Park Authority’s planning committee, said it had been a difficult decision because of what was at stake.

“On one hand we have Stanton Moor, which is one of the crown jewels of the Peak District National Park,” he said.

“We have a long-standing commitment to do everything possible to prevent quarrying from ever happening there [Stanton Moor] again and local communities strongly support that stance too.

“We felt the exchange in quarrying permissions being offered by the company was not sufficient to justify going against our planning policies.”

The land around Stanton Moor also includes Bronze Age remains, a Scheduled Ancient Monument and wildlife habitats.

Andrew Gregory, director of Blockstone Ltd, said the company was considering its options and had not yet decided whether to appeal against the Peak District’s decision, or resubmit its application.

He added that while Blockstone does not need to quarry at its Stanton Moor site at present, it may have to in the future if reserves run out at its other quarries.

The Peak District National Park Authority said quarrying permission at Stanton Moor was currently in suspension, but it could apply to reactivate it by submitting the environmental information needed with an agreement to work to modern standards.

bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-17725318

From the BBC:

Deal is agreed in park quarry row

A dispute over quarrying in the Peak District has finally been settled.

The park authority had been battling Stancliffe Stone over future extraction at the Lees Cross and Endcliffe quarries, near Bakewell.

Now the company has agreed to give up its planning permission for the site in return for permission to work Dale View quarry.

The authority said the deal would protect a valuable part of the park and surrounding heritage sites.

The authority said that following extended negotiations with landowners and quarry operators, the final legal documents were completed this week.

The case had seen years of controversy, court cases and and a protest camp.

Lees Cross and Endcliffe lie close to the pre-historic Nine Ladies Stone Circle, burial mounds and cairns on Stanton Moor.

Stancliffe has promised to manage biodiversity habitats in neighbouring hay meadows and woodland throughout Dale View quarry’s 21-year active life.

Tim Cunningham, 27th July 2005

A mile-long human chain will be formed to protest at new plans for a Stanton Moor quarry.

Residents of Stanton-in-Peak were devastated to learn Matlock quarrying firm Stancliffe Stone plans to extend a pre-existing quarry at nearby Dale View.

The news came as residents were celebrating after a recent decision by the Court of Appeal ruled that Lees Cross and Endcliffe quarries are dormant.

Local people and eco-warriors have been fighting to protect the landscape for the last five years.

Julie Kidd, of the action group Stanton Against the Destruction of our Environment (SADE) said: “Everyone thinks the war is won, but it’s not for us.

“Stancliffe Stone are abandoning Lees Cross and Endcliffe to focus on a greenfield extension to Dale View quarry instead.

“But Dale View is already Britain’s largest dimensional stone quarry. It’s closer than ever to the stone circle, and much, much closer to the village.”

The campaigners say that the extension will ruin the most popular approach to the Nine Ladies site and that environmental damage will be much more visible.

Ms Kidd said: “We’re completely mystified as to why the National Park Authority is even entertaining the idea. They seem to think this glorious piece of English countryside has no value.

“We believe when Stancliffe Stone and the National Park Authority see the size of this protest – when they realise we mean business in a big, big way – they’ll understand they have to think again.”

SADE’s chairman Nick Moor said: “We’re not anti-quarrying, we’re anti-greed. The proposed extension is just too big – it’s over a mile round.

“Poor Stanton Moor just can’t take another massive onslaught.”

A spokesperson for the Park Authority said: “The situation remains unchanged – we have received no planning application to extend Dale View quarry.

“If we do, it will be subject to an open and transparent public planning process, entailing a full environmental assessment and scrutiny by the Authority. It would be a completely new full application that would be subject to the highest standards of scrutiny.”

Stancliffe Stone General Manager Mike Jones said: “We held a pre-consultation event for local residents and interested groups so that we could listen to their feedback and use it constructively to help us develop our plans.

“And that’s exactly what we’ve done, revising the boundary of the proposed extension to ensure no quarrying will take place near the woodland which forms a natural buffer between the proposed quarry extension and the village.”

Stancliffe – a subsidiary of building-supplies giant Marshalls Plc – says it will be applying for a reduced number of lorry movements as part of its extension application.

SADE are encouraging people to join the chain on Saturday, July 30, between Stanton-in-Peak and Stanton Lees from 11am.

From: matlocktoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=749&ArticleID=1097027