CAMPAIGNERS' DELIGHT OVER BACKDALE PUBLIC INQUIRY VICTORY

National Park Society, Friends of the Peak District, (FPD) is celebrating the ruling by the Planning Inspectorate that quarrying operations at Backdale Quarry on Longstone Edge are unlawful.

Inspector David Baldock ruled that the current ratio of limestone to fluorspar extraction from Backdale Quarry was an unacceptable 91:1 whereas such an operation should not exceed a ratio of 2:1.

FPD and the Peak District National Park Authority had argued at the recent Public Inquiry that the interpretation of the quarrying permission for Backdale should focus operations on the extraction of fluorspar not limestone Whilst operators Bleaklow Industries and MMC Processing Ltd have permission to remove small quantities of limestone from the quarry in order to extract the vein mineral fluorspar, hundreds of thousands of tonnes of limestone has been illegally extracted with little or no fluorspar being produced.

The impact of such unauthorised quarrying on the specially protected landscape of Longstone Edge has been devastating and this ruling will ensure that the stop notice on work will remain in place, explains Head of Planning and Campaigns for Friends of the Peak District, Andy Tickle. Although quarrying at Backdale is permissible it is vital that these rogue operations are controlled and extraction focuses on the winning and working of fluorspar not limestone. We are delighted that Planning Inspectorate has confirmed that our interpretation of the permission is correct and we hope further damage at Longstone Edge can be averted.

Picture top left: Backdale Quarry