The Longstone Edge area of the south Peak District has been home to quarrying since 1952, but the scars on the landscape are now growing and causing serious concern about long term ecological damage.
The Save Longstone Edge Group was set up in 1997 to tackle the problem, and the BMC, Peak District National Park Authority, and Friends of the Peak District are all on board. They're asking as many people as possible to send a campaign letter supporting their stance prior to the public enquiry on 13th February this year.
The Story So Far
A 'Minerals Permission', authorising mineral extraction at Longstone Edge, was issued in 1952 for a 90 year period. At the time, quarrying was a pick-axe and barrow affair so the physical scars on the landscape were minimal. That's all changed since, and with modern opencast quarrying on the go, five men can remove up to 20,000 tonnes of rock a month.
By the time the permit expires in 2042, the damage could be vast, and the original terms of the permit don't lay the quarrying firm under any obligation to clean up any damage caused.
Quarrying in a National Park?
As the 1952 permit preceded both the creation of the National Parks and the 1952 Environment Act, the National Park Authority doesn't have any power to withdraw it. Many recreational users of the Peak District would agree that large scale quarrying goes against the spirit of the National Park system though, since it causes both ecological and aesthetic damage to an area of natural beauty.
Limestone or Minerals?
The original permit allows for "the winning and working of ... minerals" in the area, with the inevitable consequence that some of the host rock - limestone - would be displaced in the process. Back in 1952, this excess limestone was stockpiled and replaced after the minerals had been removed, to help leave the land at its original level.
Limestone itself has since become a valuable material and can be sold in large quantities, hence the vast opencast quarry. The National Park Authority, BMC, and Save Longstone Edge Group contend that the original permit doesn't allow for the extraction of limestone though, only of the minerals it contains.
Who decides?
The ins and outs of the matter will be thrashed out at a public enquiry at Calver Village Hall on 13th February. In the meantime, you can make your voice heard, and support the position of the Peak District National Park and BMC, by sending a campaign letter expressing your support. Sample versions are available.
More information and photos from the Longstone Edge Campaign and BMC.
