May 2011 Newsletter
22 May 2011
We now have legal clarity about the meaning of the 1952 Planning Permission that has been at the root of many of Longstone Edge’s problems. The Permission was for the extraction of fluorspar, and the problem was that it did not specify a limit on the amount of limestone that could be taken and sold as part of the quarrying of fluorspar. This allowed Bleaklow Industries, the owner of Backdale and Wagers Flat on Longstone Edge, to take large quantities of limestone using the excuse that they were extracting fluorspar.
Last September the European Court of Human Rights decided not to hear an appeal against the British Court of Appeal’s decision that no more than 2 tonnes of limestone should be taken for every tonne of fluorspar. Bleaklow Industries had already stopped quarrying, and it appears that they do not believe that quarrying within the limits of the 2:1 ratio is profitable. However there is no guarantee that quarrying will never resume, and the 1952 planning permission still has another 30 years to run.
The other recent development was the closure of Cavendish Mill late last year. This was the only plant in the UK that undertook the initial processing of fluorspar. Mexichem, the new owners of the Runcorn plant that uses fluorspar, decided not to buy Cavendish Mill and is now importing fluorspar from Mexico.
We understand that there may still be a potential buyer for Cavendish Mill, so it is possible that fluorspar processing could resume. The future ownership of mineral rights on Longstone Edge could also change.
So although the risks to Longstone Edge are now much less, the Save Longstone Edge Group will continue to be vigilant. We will continue to lobby the National Park Authority on the restoration of areas damaged by quarrying and on the future of Longstone Edge.
PLEASE COME TO OUR MEETING ON 16 JUNE. PLEASE TELL OTHERS WHO SUPPORT US WHO MAY NOT HAVE RECEIVED THIS NEWSLETTER.
This newsletter is also available as a pdf file.