Threat of New Quarry at Peak Pasture
29 August 2009
Just when we thought that the destruction by quarrying at Longstone Edge was coming to a close, a new threat has arrived - with a threat by Glebe Mines of open-cast fluorspar quarrying at the site known as "Peak Pasture". Peak Pasture is possibly the most sensitive part of Longstone Edge in respect of its scenic and botanical value. It is immediately above the village of Calver.
The Peak District National Park Authority is meeting on 18 September to make decisions which will affect Peak Pasture. SLEG has made written submissions to the PDNPA and will attend the meeting to make verbal representations.
Supporters are urged to attend the meeting themselves, or to give their views to SLEG. The meeting is at the Agricultural Centre in Bakewell on 18 September at 10am. Anyone may attend. Anyone may also speak, but you need to phone the PDNPA on 01629 816200 by 15 September if you want to speak.
SLEG’s position is that we believe that there should be no more significant opencast quarrying of fluorspar in the National Park and that the PDNPA should move urgently to revoke the 1952 Longstone Edge permission that permits Glebe to quarry Fluorspar at Peak Pasture.
As usual the issues are complex. In summary, Glebe Mines wishes to expand a quarry known as Tearsall (near Matlock) and have threatened to quarry Peak Pasture instead if the PDNPA doesn't let them quarry at Tearsall. Even if Glebe are allowed to quarry at Tearsall, they are only offering a four-year pause before getting stuck into Peak Pasture.
In more detail: Glebe Mines Ltd is now a subsidiary of IneosFluor, and operates Cavendish Mill near Longstone Edge which processes raw fluorspar for further processing in Runcorn. Glebe applied 18 months ago for a permission to quarry fluorspar at Tearsall, which is in the National Park but not on Longstone Edge. In January 2009 the PDNPA voted by 10 votes to 8 to give this permission, in return for commitments from Glebe in a "Section 106" agreement.
A Section 106 agreement allows a planning authority to obtain some concessions from a developer in exchange for granting planning permission. In this case Glebe offered, in exchange for permission to quarry at Tearsall, (a) to obtain a proportion of their fluorspar from underground mining at Milldam Mine (not on Longstone Edge) and (b) not to quarry Peak Pasture (which is on Longstone Edge) for four years. Glebe own mineral rights under a 1952 planning permission to extract Fluorspar from Peak Pasture. The planning permission is the same as at Backdale and Wagers Flat, and the details of this permission have recently been clarified by a Court of Appeal ruling.
At the PDNPA meeting that considered Tearsall, SLEG had argued that the Section 106 deal was not proportionate.
After the House of Lords refused leave to appeal against the Court of Appeal decision on Backdale, the PDNPA was advised by counsel that they should reconsider the January decision in the light of the Court of Appeal interpretation of the 1952 Permission at Backdale, as it might be in legal difficulty if it did not.
In response to this, Glebe Mines have threatened to quarry Peak Pasture if Tearsall is now turned down.
A meeting of the Peak District National Park Authority will take place on 18 September to reconsider the Tearsall decision and the Section 106 concessions relating to Peak Pasture.