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STANTON LEES
ACTION GROUP LTD
NATIONAL PARK QUARRY OBJECTIONS
Your help
is desperately needed to fight an application under the 1995 Environment
Act to re-open two dormant quarries at Lees Cross and Endcliffe, Stanton-in-the-Peak,
within the Peak District National Park
Application No . NP/DD/0299/082
Applicant: Stancliffe Stone Co. Ltd., Stoney Ley Sawmills, Prospect
Quarry, Grangemill
Main Road, Stanton-in-Peak, Derbys.
Mineral planning authority:
Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA)
Proposals:
- To extract 2.4 million tonnes of stone.
- Create a further 1.2 million tonnes (at least)
of spoil.
- Work the Quarries for the next 40 years.
- Quarry to a depth of 100m below current levels.
Problems:
- Further degradation of the hillside and the setting
of the Nine Ladies stone circle (Scheduled Ancient Monument).
- The application runs contrary to the existing
1952 consent.
- Dangerous lorry traffic on totally unsuitable
roads.
- Quarrying on a known geological landslip.
- Decimation of wildlife habitats. (Inadequate
ecological survey carried out)
- Noise and dust pollution.
- Threat to local spring water supply.
- Adverse effect on visitors and tourism.
- NO restoration
plans yet submitted.
Background
Endcliffe and Lees Cross quarries have not been
worked for nearly fifty years and have completely re-generated and blended
back in with the surrounding area. They were both granted planning permissions
in 1952 (along with many other quarries) when the country was being re-built
after the war. It is doubtful if in fact these old quarries have ever
been worked since this permission was granted!
Under the 1995 Environment Act both quarries were
classified as "dormant" (not without pressure from ourselves). It was
hoped that the "dormant" classification would, once and for all, address
the problems of old permissions and require that new permission be sought
for any such sites. This however is not the case and does
not prevent dormant quarries from being re-
worked once an application has been
submitted to apply "full modern working conditions" and agreed with the
planning authority.
Due to the sensitivity of this particular site we
do not consider it possible for "modern working conditions" to be applied.
We urge everyone to write objecting to this proposal
in the strongest possible terms.
Please write or send Email to:
1. Mr J Anfield,
PDNPA, Aldern House, Baslow Road, Bakewell, Derby. DE45 1A.
Email: aldern@peakdistrict.org
2. The Right Honourable J Prescott MP,
Secretary of State for the Environment, DETR, Eland House, Bressenden
Place, London, SW1E 5DU. - (copy letter additionally requesting that he
"calls in" the application for determination).
DETR web site: www.detr.gov.uk
To Contact Stanton Lees Action Group Please
Email:
info@purelocal.co.uk
Latest News
Stanton Lees Action Group
ALL RESIDENTS OF STANTON LEES - it is letter
writing time again!
WHY? Stancliffe Stone Ltd have put in another planning application
regarding their working quarry - Dale View. THE OUTCOME OF THIS APPLICATION
MAY WELL HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON THE DECISION REGARDING THE WORKING OF
ENDCLIFFE & LEES CROSS QUARRIES.
What Stancliffe are proposing in this new application is to exchange some
land at Dale View quarry adjacent to Lees Road, which will then be "landscaped",
in return for quarrying on land that is currently outside their permission
area. There are some other "goodies" thrown in as well.
It is our opinion that this application is a blatant attempt to extend
the current Dale View quarry while offering very few, if any benefits
in exchange. We feel this is an opportunity for us to object to this
"exchange" on the grounds that the benefits to the operator far outweigh
any benefits to the local environment, but TO SUGGEST THAT IF STANCLIFFE
STONE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT EXTENDING AT DALE VIEW AND IMPROVING THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL
RECORD THEN THE GIVING UP OF ENDCLIFFE AND LEES CROSS WOULD BE VIEWED
AS A MUCH MORE ATTRACTIVE PROPOSITION.
THE FACTS about the new application
- The application involves the extraction of a further 726,158 tonnes
of gritstone (nearly 3/4 of a million tonnes) - this is a lot of stone!
- There will be 45% wastage producing a further 594,127 tonnes of
waste.
- About 0.5 million tonnes will be extracted from new land that is
currently outside the Dale View permission (located to the West of the
existing void towards Stanton) and a further 0.25 million tonnes from
within the existing hole. They are applying to move the internal
haul road and location of plant, fuel etc. to allow further excavation
of the existing void.
- The amount of stone contained within the area that they are prepared
to give up is estimated at only 452,076 tonnes - they are asking for
60 % more than they are willing to give up! The quality of the stone
in this area on the roadside is debatable and not proven in the application.
In reality they are probably giving up nothing at all.
- The landscaping that is proposed on the land that will be given
up appears crude - a steep sided mound up to 5 metres tall planted with
trees. The plans show that a significant amount of this mound is
actually located on ground outside the permission area anyway!
- The excavation of the new area to the West of the existing void
will not be screened by the proposed landscaping along Lees Road as
it lies too far along the road to Stanton!
- They also propose to take more land to the North of the existing
void, again outside the current permission, for "landscaping" purposes.
It would appear that in fact this would just be a convenient place to
get rid of more of the 45% waste that they will generate!
- They also propose further "landscaping" of the southern tip in
the form of an additional mound. The benefits are unclear, indeed
concern about instability of tips comes to mind if more waste is deposited
on top of the old tip.
- The proposals would involve even more aggregate or crushed stone
leaving the quarry. This is completely against Peak Park policies
and the requirements of the original consent.
- The proposals would mean increased aggregate lorries using Stanton
Lees. Stancliffe's aggregate lorries use Stanton Lees for access
and egress, therefore the routing arrangements in the application (to
only come up Stanton and down Pilough) are nonsense.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
It is imperative that all the village writes to the Peak Park and:
1) Objects to this application - use any of the reasons above or
just say that it is an unreasonable exchange with the operator's benefits
far outweighing those of the local community and environment.
2) Suggest that an acceptable exchange of land to allow an extension
at Dale View would be to give up Endcliffe and Lees Cross.
This is probably our best bet for making sure that Endcliffe and Lees
Cross are never worked.
Write to:
Mr J Anfield, Head of Planning, PDNPA, Aldern House, Baslow Road, Bakewell,
DE45 1AE
. Quote application number NP/DDD/0100/008 (Proposed
exchange of land for gritstone extraction Dale View Quarry, Stanton Moor,
Stanton-in-Peak).
LETTERS SHOULD BE RECEIVED AT THE PEAK PARK BY 21
FEB
If you would like any help with writing your letter
please contact Phil, 01629 734468.
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