03 – Ingleton Quarry, Ingleton

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Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority

Application Code: C/45/307Q Committee Date: 10/12/2019 Location: Ingleton Quarry, Ingleton

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FOR REFERENCE PURPOSES ONLY. NO FURTHER COPIES TO BE MADE

Application No: C/45/307Q

District: Craven

Parish: Ingleton

Applicant's Name: Hanson Quarry Products Europe Limited

Grid Ref: SD70497414

Received by YDNP: 28/08/2019 Officer: David Parrish

PROPOSAL: variation of Conditions 2, 3, 4, 8 and 25 attached to planning permission C/45/307L, to continue winning and working mineral until 31st December 2025 and to complete restoration by 31st December 2026

LOCATION: Ingleton Quarry, Ingleton

CONSULTEES Environment Agency - No objections to the proposals and can agree time for All areas extension. Hydrogeological impact was assessed in 2015. CEHO Craven No response. Highways North There are no local highway authority objections to the Yorkshire proposed development. Ingleton PC A vote was taken on whether the Parish Council would support this application to extend the life of the quarry and with the exception of the Chairman, all were in favour. However with the reduction of tonnage produced by the quarry the Parish Council would like to see a reduction in working hours with half the stone produced being transported on the railway. Concerns were raised about effects on nearby dwellings and members would like to see monitors in place for closer properties. There was comment from members regarding the desertion of bird life from the area particularly with the introduction of the new crusher and it was hoped that the new bund would be completed as soon as possible. Natural England Has no comment to make on the variation of conditions. Area Ranger The proposed continuation of mineral extraction isn’t (Lancashire, expected to affect either of the public rights of way Ribblesdale & which cross the site. The public footpath must remain Malhamdale) free for use at all times and the permissive footpath should also remain open to provide a traffic free alternative. Wildlife Conservation The restoration scheme is acceptable as it would lead

C/45/307Q 10 Dec 2019 Schedule No:3 Officer to creation of valuable habitats for nature conservation. The main impact of the development is the delay it will cause to the realisation of the biodiversity benefits. PUBLIC RESPONSES

Friends of the Dales: Object to the proposal to extend, yet again, the operational life of Ingleton Quarry. The 2015 application secured an extension until May 2020 to allow reserves remaining in the quarry to be extracted. We are now told a further 5 years are needed. The quarry should close to schedule and be restored. Hanson should progress their rail link at Horton with urgency and if the rail siding can be in place at Horton in 2020 surely export of gritstone can start sooner than 2025. The minimum requirement of 8% of Ingleton output to move by rail should be raised to a more meaningful level, say 25%, should any extension be granted.

A complaint and comments have been received on behalf of the Falls Park holiday development which is situated on the opposite (north western) side of the valley of the River Doe to the quarry. These relate to levels of noise and dust, particularly from the mobile processing plant, which has replaced fixed plant. It is understood that further mitigation is suggested, but it is difficult for them to judge whether this will be effective. It is requested that additional monitoring of noise and dust be required as part of any approval, with some form of deterrent if acceptable levels are breached. RELEVANT PLANNING POLICIES L6(15) - Crushed rock quarrying SP4(15) - Development Quality OFFICER OBSERVATIONS REASON FOR COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION This application is reported to Committee as in the opinion of the Head of Development Management it is in the best interests of the National Park Authority that the application is considered by Committee.

APPLICATION SITE Ingleton Quarry is located in the valley of the River Doe, between the wooded river valley and the B6255 Ingleton to Ribblehead road and approximately 1.5km to the north east of Ingleton village. The access road to the quarry is directly from the B6255. A minor road, Oddie’s Lane runs along the western side of the valley from Ingleton to Chapel-le-Dale. The western boundary of the quarry adjoins the Thornton and Twisleton Glens SSSI. The Ingleborough Complex SAC and the Ingleborough SSSI are immediately to the east of the B6255 road. Natural England advised in 2015 in relation to the existing planning permission that the proposal is unlikely to have a significant effect on any European site and could therefore be screened out from any requirement for an ‘appropriate assessment’ under the Habitats Regulations.

RELEVANT PLANNING HISTORY A number of planning permissions for quarrying gritstone at the site were granted between 1950 and 2007. The 2007 permission extended the life of the quarry to May 2018 and was linked to proposals to use overburden and silt from the site to restore Old Ingleton Quarry. The restoration work at Old Ingleton was completed in 2009. Permission C/45/307L, the life of which the current application seeks to extend, was issued

C/45/307Q 10 Dec 2019 Schedule No:3 in January 2016. The 2016 permission, with an end date of May 2020 gave approval to work reserves in the south west corner of the site beneath the silt waste tip and a small area in the north east corner of the quarry.

PROPOSAL The application is accompanied by an Environmental Statement.

This application seeks to vary conditions attached to decision C/45/307L (2016) to extend the time period for working the already permitted reserves by 5 years 7 months from May 2020 to 31st December 2025 and to complete restoration by 31st December 2026. This would require variation of the conditions relating to the end dates for working and restoration with consequent variation of other conditions to reflect the revised timescales and changes to production methods since 2016. The principal change has been demolition of the fixed processing plant and its replacement by mobile units in the same location. The current application does not seek to extend the approved area of extraction or to work any additional reserves.

The proposals set out in application C/45/307L (2016) sought to permit the working of an additional 1.5 million tonnes (mt) of mineral that would be worked over 4 years from May 2016 to May 2020 at an average annual production of 375,000 tonnes. The bulk of these reserves were seen as being beneath the silt waste tip, with limited reserves in the north eastern faces. The current position is that, although waste silt has been excavated and placed in the base of the quarry, quarrying beneath the silt tip area has not yet commenced and the whole of that part of the reserves remains to be worked. The principal reason for this delay is that the company has been able to access a greater volume of stone from the north eastern faces by redesigning benches and haul roads and resolving stability issues by relocating the quarry offices and weighbridge. This, combined with reduced sales and a pause in production in the summer of 2018 while the fixed processing plant was demolished, has meant that production since 2016 has taken place in the base of the quarry and from the north east faces. The company estimates that sufficient stone remains in the lower part of the north east faces to maintain production until May 2020, the end date of the current permission. As a result, working in the area beneath the excavated silt tip has not commenced. The company estimates the silt tip area contains 1.47mt of gritstone, which they are proposing to work up to the end of 2025 at an annual rate of 250,000 to 275,000 tonnes.

Production would continue to be through the existing mobile units located in the area previously occupied by the fixed processing plant. The removal of the fixed plant has meant that it has been possible for areas along the northern margins of the excavation to be restored at an earlier date than previously proposed.

KEY ISSUES -planning policy -visual and landscape impact -resoration -quarrying, processing and transport issues -alternative sources of stone

PLANNING POLICY Section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act, 2004 places a duty on Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) that in determining planning applications regard is to be had to the development plan and that determination shall be in accordance with the plan unless C/45/307Q 10 Dec 2019 Schedule No:3 material considerations indicate otherwise.

National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) (2019) Paragraph 172. Great weight should be given to conserving and enhancing the landscape and scenic beauty in National Parks. Planning permission should be refused for 'major development' in National Parks other than in exceptional circumstances and where it can be demonstrated to be in the public interest. There has been some debate on what should constitute ‘major development’. There isn’t a specific definition and NPPF sets out that whether a proposal is a major development is a matter for the decision maker, taking into account its nature, scale and setting and whether it could have a significant adverse impact on the purposes for which the area has been designated.

An application to establish a new quarry in a National Park would clearly be a major development. However this proposal is for a modest extension of the life of an existing quarry, with the impact of quarrying and quarry traffic over that period and a modest delay in restoration. In these circumstances, it is considered that it would not be appropriate to consider the proposal as major development.

Paragraph 205 – When determining planning applications, great weight should be given to the benefits of mineral extraction, including to the economy. Mineral planning authorities should, as far as practical, provide for the maintenance of landbanks of non-energy minerals from outside National Parks. Authorities should ensure that any unavoidable noise, dust and particle emissions and any blasting vibrations are controlled, mitigated or removed at source.

The NPPF encourages the promotion of sustainable transport. Existing sites for the bulk transport of minerals should be safeguarded.

Local Plan (2015 - 2030): The key policy in the Yorkshire Dales National Park Local Plan in relation to crushed rock quarrying is Policy L6. The main criteria of the policy are that extensions must be in disturbed land within an existing quarry boundary, the environmental and economic benefits of further quarrying will outweigh the impact on the landscape and the natural and historic environment and proposals should demonstrate how any unavoidable impacts will be mitigated. The policy requires that, where a site is rail linked, road haulage must be reduced by 50% based on limits in place in 2011. The proposals must also demonstrate environmental and local economic benefits.

Policy SP4 in the National Park Local Plan sets out criteria to be met in respect of development quality including transport, human safety and amenity and environmental safeguarding.

VISUAL AND LANDSCAPE IMPACT The quarry is well screened from Ingleton village and from the B6255 by the restored landform along the southern boundary of the quarry and by well developed tree planting. The grey coloured silt tip that was previously visible from the south has now been removed. Because of natural landforms, the quarry is not a significant element in views from the Fell Lane track up Ingleborough. There are however, views into the quarry from the west from the minor road, Oddie’s Lane, Beezleys (Falls Park) and Twisleton Hall. These views cannot be effectively screened, although visual improvements have been achieved as a result of the removal of buildings that contained the fixed processing plant.

C/45/307Q 10 Dec 2019 Schedule No:3 SITE RESTORATION The deep quarry excavation will fill with water when pumping ceases creating a lake almost 100m deep with an outfall to the River Doe. Calculations indicate it may take about 12 years for the void to fill. The remainder of the site will be restored to grassland and woodland. The quarry has been developed as a deep, steep sided excavation and there is little scope to make significant improvements to the approved restoration scheme. The completion of site restoration would be delayed from May 2021 to the end of December 2026

QUARRYING, PROCESSING AND TRANSPORT The currently approved operational hours at Ingleton Quarry are 06.30 to 17.30 Mondays to Fridays and 06.30 to 12.00 on Saturdays. In addition, repair and maintenance of plant and machinery is allowed up to 22.00. Road transport is permitted between 06.30 and 17.30 Mondays to Fridays with no HGVs on Saturdays or Sundays. In response to the Parish Council's request for a reduction in working hours, the company has offered to reduce the finishing time for quarrying and HGV movements to 17.00 and to reduce the period permitted for repair and maintenance to 6.30 to 18.00.

At present there is a requirement for a minimum of 8% of sales to be by rail, using the rail sidings at Ribblehead. In 2018 16,000 tonnes (9.7%) were carried by rail out of total sales of 166,000 tonnes. It is necessary to use road transport on the B6255 from the quarry to the railway at Ribblehead. The company has offered to increase the proportion of rail transport to 10% in 2022 and 2023 and then to 12% in 2024 and 2025. Assuming average annual sales of 260,000 tonnes, minimum rail haulage would increase from 20,800 tonnes to 26,000 tonnes and then to 31,200 tonnes.

The views of Ingleton Parish Council on these revised proposals are awaited.

The fixed processing plant and most of the plant buildings were demolished and removed from site in the summer of 2018. These were replaced by mobile crushing and screening plant located in the same area that the fixed plant occupied in the north western part of the quarry. This change was beneficial in reducing the visual impact of the site in views from the west and allowing additional restoration to be undertaken at an earlier stage along the northern edge of the quarry excavation. However, the change led to complaints about increased noise and dust from the mobile plant, principally in relation to properties at Beezley’s and the associated Falls Park holiday and caravan site that is currently being developed. Beezley’s is approximately 400m to the north-west of the plant site, on the opposite side of the River Doe with the associated caravan development at approximately 250m.

The company has increased the extent of water sprays and covering of conveyors on the plant and site visits have indicated that this has been effective in controlling dust. In addition a number of measures have been implemented to address concerns about noise from the plant and associated operations. The sides of the primary crusher hopper have been rubber lined and the height and extent of a screen bund on the western side of the plant site have been increased. In addition the haul road to the plant has been lowered and a new haul road up the northern side of the quarry is being developed. The maximum noise level limits covered by a condition on the existing planning permission are low and reflect the quiet background levels of a rural area. Noise monitoring and acoustic modelling undertaken by the company before the above measures were in place indicated that in strong winds blowing towards the west, noise levels could slightly exceed the conditioned limit. The company believes the measures they have taken will be adequate, but would C/45/307Q 10 Dec 2019 Schedule No:3 agree to a three monthly monitoring programme at residential premises. If this monitoring indicates additional measures are required, acoustic fencing could be installed and, if necessary, the primary jaw crusher could be enclosed in a skid-mounted cover.

ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF STONE Ingleton Quarry produces skid resistant, high polished stone value (PSV) gritstone that is used for road surfacing, including surface dressing undertaken by highway authorities. Ingleton, together with Arcow and Dry Rigg Quarries in Ribblesdale produce around 0.9mt of high PSV gritstone each year. Horton Quarry also has permitted reserves of high PSV gritstone, which were worked to supply the company’s markets while the fixed plant at Ingleton was being demolished. Hanson sees the gritstone beneath the limestone at Horton as a longer term resource to be developed as quarrying at Ingleton is being completed. Management Plan objective D4 is to create a railhead at Horton Quarry. The company has approval to construct rail sidings at Horton Quarry and these proposals are being developed with Network Rail. The target date for linking into the Settle – Carlisle line is October 2020 when there is a line closure for other works. The company argues that working at Ingleton is required until the end of 2025 to enable the full development of the Horton site for gritstone production to be undertaken.

There are a limited number of quarries nationally that produce comparable skid resistant material, with the applicants identifying 15 in England and Wales of which 6 are in the North of England. Three quarries in Cumbria produce skid resistant stone. One of these sites is at present mothballed and one produces stone that meets higher specification uses.

ANALYSIS AND MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS The application seeks an extension of time from May 2020 until the end of December 2025 to work 1.47mt of currently permitted, but unworked stone from beneath the former quarry silt tip area.

The principal benefit of the proposal is that it would maintain existing levels of employment at the site for a further 5 years 7 months. The quarry provides direct employment for 11 employees plus 5 full time contractors. It would also continue the supply of skid resistant road surfacing material from this site over the same period. There are no significant new benefits in terms of landscape, visual impact or final restoration, although the introduction of mobile plant and the relocation of the quarry offices and weighbridge have enabled restoration along the northern edge of the excavation to be completed at an earlier date.

The disadvantages of extending the life of the site are that the impact of quarrying in terms of transport and operational and visual impact would continue for more than 5 years. If quarrying is to continue, any adverse impacts need to be satisfactorily mitigated. Complaints have been received in respect of noise and dust levels from the mobile plant. It is considered that standard dust suppression methods are capable of satisfactorily dealing with the dust issues. The measures already taken to reduce noise levels have improved the situation, but their continuing effectiveness will require further monitoring. Additional, practical noise reduction measures are available, if monitoring indicates they are required.

The company has proposed additional operational improvements including increases in the tonnage of mineral transported by rail via Ribblehead sidings and relatively modest reductions in working and transport hours.

Policy L6 (crushed rock quarrying) is the key policy in respect of the proposed development. This policy requires that for extensions in time any proposal must C/45/307Q 10 Dec 2019 Schedule No:3 demonstrate that local economic benefits will outweigh impacts on the landscape and natural environment and must demonstrate how any unavoidable impacts will be mitigated.

There are clear economic benefits that would result from continued local employment and a continued supply of skid-resistant road surfacing material from the quarry. The final restoration scheme, although delayed, would be essentially the same as that already approved. It is considered that unavoidable impacts from the operations can be satisfactorily mitigated provided that noise and dust controls are implemented, maintained and monitored during the extension period. This can be covered by condition.

Ingleton Quarry does not have a direct rail link and the L6 policy requirement for a minimum 50% reduction in road transport does not apply. Nevertheless, some mineral is transported by rail via Ribblehead sidings and the applicant has offered a modest increase in the proportion hauled by rail which would represent a modest environmental benefit.

The company has previously given up already-permitted reserves at Old Ingleton, Ribblehead, Horton and Helwith Bridge Quarries. There aren’t any further opportunities in this respect in the context of the current application.

Policy SP4 (development quality) requires environmental safeguarding to ensure that development will not give rise to unacceptable adverse impacts. It is considered that the proposed time extension at the quarry would not be contrary to this policy, provided that noise and dust mitigation measures are implemented effectively. RECOMMENDATION That planning permission is granted subject to:

(i) the applicant entering into a Section 106 agreement to cover the matters included in the existing Section 106 agreement, updated as required to incorporate details of the extended time period for working and restoration and the revised percentages of total sales to be transported by rail from Ribblehead, and to cover the provisions contained in the existing agreement for the revocation of planning permissions at the now restored Old Ingleton site and for the monitoring and management of that site, and;

(ii) all of the conditions attached to the existing planning permission (C/45/307L) amended to cover the following matters: -The quarrying, processing and sales from the site to cease by 31st December 2025. -Removal of all plant and buildings and the restoration of the site by 31st December 2026. -Development to be carried out in accordance with the submitted revised drawings. -Revised plant and building details. -Revised, reduced operating and transport hours. -Noise and dust monitoring to be undertaken at agreed locations at three monthly intervals and the provision of improved mitigation measures where necessary. -A revised date for the submission for approval of details of the proposed lake outfall.

C/45/307Q 10 Dec 2019