Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority Application Code: C/45/307Q Committee Date: 10/12/2019 Location: Ingleton Quarry, Ingleton Waterfall Workings (dis) Issues Hopper Waterfall Hopper Tank Sinks Snow Falls Issues Hopper Issues MS FB Ingleton Quarry Stone Workings Settling Ponds Pond Workings (dis) Quarry Wood Settling Ponds Lime Kiln (disused) Spring Springs Cave Twistleton Constitution Hill Pond Manor Bridge Helks Mount (foot) Water View TCB Spring Helks Ingleton Quarry Stone Workings Twisleton Manor House C/45/307QC/45/307Q Swilla Glen Quarry Wood Cairn Creeping Steads Lenny Wood Enclosure Meal Bank Meal Bank Quarry (disused) Storrs Common Kiln (remains of) FOR REFERENCE PURPOSES ONLY. NO FURTHER COPIES TO BE MADE © Crown copyright and database rights 2017 Ordnance Survey 100023740. Additional information: © Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority Schedule No:3 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’.