How You Can Help: Write a Letter
Write a Letter to your MP
At the present time this is the most important thing you can do, since the only way the quarrying is likely to be stopped is through Government action. Write to your MP:
Dear (your MP)
As one of your constituents and as a visitor to the Peak District National Park I am shocked to discover that national park status is not preventing Longstone Edge being destroyed by extensive quarrying. Could you please ask Hilary Benn at DEFRA to intervene urgently to find a permanent solution.
The House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA
Your MP should forward the letter to the Minister, and send you a copy of the Minister's reply. It is very encouraging to know that a Minister must reply to every letter he or she receives from an MP - and that more than 8 letters on a subject is considered 'significant'.
More Letters to Write
When you have written to your MP - keep writing!
One of the key purposes of what we are trying to do is to raise awareness of the campaign on a national level. The Government, through DEFRA the funding agency of the National Parks, says that it's a local issue, yet the park is a 'National Park' with 'central' funding. DEFRA claims that the PDNPA has all the powers it needs to revoke the permission if it doesn't like it, but the problem is that it doesn't have the money to do it because it would have to compensate the landowner.
This is a perfect case where well-written letters, covering range of
subjects, are sent by many supporters to targeted politicians and officials.
It is very encouraging to know that a minister of state must reply to every
letter he/she receives - and that more than 8 letters on a subject is
considered 'significant'.
To get you started, we have highlighted a number of key issues/failures of government, provided lists of people to write to, and also suggested different angles to write from.
In addition, apart from writing yourself as a concerned local resident you might ask friends and family from further afield, who may visit you from time to time, to write from their perspective.
| KEY ISSUES |
A: National Parks - for the conservation and enhancement of the countryside
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B: Aggregates Levy Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs have been (apparently) scandalously negligent in not collecting Aggregates Levy on the Limestone Aggregate removed from Backdale - @£1.60 per tonne, and 20,000 tonnes per month, how can they allow this situation of owing over £1.6m to persist. It is quite shocking for them to hide behind the outcome of the planning appeal/inquiry. Objective of Levy To address, by taxation, the environmental costs associated with quarrying operations (noise, dust, visual intrusion, loss of amenity and damage to biodiversity) in line with the Government's statement of intent on environmental taxation. To reduce demand for aggregate and encourage the use of alternative materials where possible. Are there any exemptions? The following materials are exempt or not within the scope of the levy; coal, lignite, shale, slate, clay, soil or vegetable or other organic matter, industrial minerals (eg metal ores, gypsum, fluorspar) and their processing waste, but not their extraction waste, cut building stone and dimension stone, limestone for the production of lime or cement, colliery spoil, waste from industrial combustion processes or the smelting or refining of metals, drill cuttings from oil exploration from the seabed, aggregate arising from utility trenching, highways excavation, navigational dredging and building construction and china clay and ball clay waste. Please note: the overburden from the extraction of china clay, ball clay, coal, lignite, slate, shale and any industrial minerals is taxable unless it is itself a specifically exempt material. |
C: Highways and Access Matters
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D: Health & Safety Matters
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E: General Matters We can't be too prescriptive about this - you will all have your own reasons for being concerned or irritated and getting involved. Don't let that out you off from writing to relevant people/bodies about it. |
| KEY TARGETS |
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Jonathan Shaw - Minster for Rural affairs at DEFRA (inc national Parks) Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural affairs - what's he going to do about it??? |
2. Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Aggregates Levy - it's supposed to raise over £300m per year, but they can't find the money to buy-out old mineral permissions. The total amount 're-cycled' into amelioration of the impact of aggregates extraction is only ~£4.7m per year, with only 2 projects over £100,000! Click here for more details. 1. Why isn't the limestone from Backdale (and now, Wager's Flat) subject to Aggregates Levy of £1.60 per tonne? Alternatively, write to the registration department for the Aggregates Levy: HM Revenue & Customs Tel: 01702 366558 The Board of HMRC - should be made aware of what is (not) going on: |
3. Derbyshire County Council - Highways Department Regarding their lack of action over
Derbyshire County Councillors: http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/council/councillors/ |
4. Health & Safety Executive They have still not ensured adequate safety fencing around Backdale (you can walk straight in with no signs or barriers), and we don't think a 5-bar gate at Wager's Flat is adequate to stop children getting in. |
5. Letters to the Peak District National Park Authority Members of the Authority PDNPA Managers |
6. Your local Member of Parliament You can find your MP here and email some of them below: Angela Smith (Sheffield Hillsborough) You can write to them at: |