Ramblers Association - Derbyshire Dales Group

Endcliffe & Lees Cross Quarries Dormant But Not Dead

Keith Garton, Footpath Warden, Stanton-in-the-Peak

On the evidence of comments from Group members who regularly walk in the Stanton Moor area, there seems to be a popular misconception that the widely publicised threat to re-open the long-disused Endcliffe and Lees Cross gritstone quarries at Stanton Lees has been removed by a recent High Court appeal decision. Whilst this upheld the earlier Peak District National Park Authority determination that these two old quarries are indeed' dormant¹, it could not unfortunately remove legal planning consent to re-open the quarries granted by Central Government in 1952. The dormant categorisation {as distinct from 'active'} enables the National Park Authority, in determining the Environment Act submission, which is a prerequisite to activating the 1952 consent, to impose much more stringent conditions governing working methods and restoration, if exercised rigorously in association with the original, albeit inadequate 1952 conditions, these could significantly reduce the amount of stone permitted to be quarried.

What should, however, be of concern to anyone who appreciates this special area is that the quarry operators concerned, Stancliffe Stone, are understood to be in discussion with the National Park Authority regarding a possible land exchange substituting the workings proposed for Endcliffe and Lees Cross, amounting to the extraction of 3.3 million tonnes of stone, for an extension to the nearby active Dale View Quarry. This would bring the working to within 320 metres of Stanton-in-the-Peak village, dominating the northern approach to, and views from, Stanton Moor, a scheduled ancient monument visited by over 40,000 people each year.

At the time of writing, the National Park Authority has again deferred the determination of the Environment Act submission relative to Endcliffe and Lees Cross for six months. There is understandably growing concern in the Stanton-in Peak community that this will precipitate an application by Stancliffe Stone for an extension to Dale View Quarry which, if approved, would create long term, large scale, dominant quarry operations extending virtually to the edge of the village, a conservation area. It is hoped that Ramblers' Association Members who value the special heritage and landscape qualities of this most accessible but vulnerable area of the National Park may wish to lend their support to the campaign opposing the proposed land exchange once a formal planning application is lodged with the National Park Authority. This would be greatly appreciated by the local community and should be addressed to:-

Mr Jim Dixon
Chief Executive
PeakNational Park Authority
Aldern House
Basiow Road
Bakewell
Derbyshire
DE45 1AE