Five years on, major agencies back call for Government to save Peak District from mining devastation
08 July 2008
On the 5th year anniversary since quarrying
resumed at Longstone Edge in the Peak District, a major
coalition has warned the Government to ‘act now’ or lose 350
hectares of irreplaceable landscape forever.
This summer marks the five year anniversary that Bleaklow
Industries and MMC resumed the mining of a 1952-granted mineral
permission at the outstandingly beautiful Longstone Edge in the
Peak District National Park. This week, the Longstone Edge
Coalition (LEC), an alliance of 8 major environmental and
conservation groups, has written to the Government urging DEFRA
to provide immediate financial support to the Peak District
National Park Authority to halt continued devastation caused by
the quarrying.
In a letter to the Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn MP, Ruth
Chambers, Deputy CEO of the Campaign for National Parks has
urged the Government to “give the highest priority” to saving
Longstone Edge. She comments: “The irreplaceable national park
land at Longstone Edge has, this year, suffered five years of
devastation from quarrying.
“The Government must act now to save this precious land that it
is bound to protect, because fresh ground is being cleared for
further quarrying.“
She adds: “The Government’s actions towards Longstone Edge are
of national significance; a positive response from Hilary Benn
would boost this government’s track record on protecting our
finest landscapes”.
David Murray, Countryside Campaigner for the Ramblers'
Association added “We’ll soon have to rename this beautiful,
much walked and cherished landscape ‘Long-gone Edge’ if the
government doesn’t step in immediately to help the national park
authority stop the demolition. Without funding the authority
will not be able to take the necessary action to save Longstone
Edge for future generations”.
Background
The Longstone Edge Coalition (LEC) call follows a decision by
Government and the Peak District National Park Authority to
appeal a recent High Court judgment that left Longstone Edge
vulnerable to destruction from accelerated mining activities.
The ruling in March 2008 overturned a public inquiry and a ‘stop
notice’ served by the Park Authority, to prevent Bleaklow
Industries and MMC quarrying at Longstone Edge using a mineral
permission granted in 1952 (2). Since then, resumed quarrying
has renewed destruction at Backdale on Longstone Edge (3).
The Longstone Edge Coalition, has welcomed the decision to
appeal but has called for urgent revocation of the 1952 mining
permission to prevent continued damage. It has called on the
Government to prepare a rescue package to meet the costs,
warning that the National Park Authority would not be able to
meet these without Government support.
The LEC is calling for:
- Revocation of the 1952 mining permission
- Full financial and legislative support from Defra to the Peak
District National Park Authority