Quarry expansion approved near Peak District. Digging can continue for 27 years at Aldwark Quarry by Longcliffe Quarries.
Longcliffe already has the Brassington Moor Quarry site near Matlock and Wirksworth. The extension will happen at Aldwark Quarry, which sits between Aldwark and Longcliffe. The council’s planning group said yes on February 10.
Chris Henning works for the council, knowing the area’s nature is very important, and preserving heritage matters, too. Extracting minerals is a national priority, so he balanced these different things.
Henning considered fixing the site after use and reducing bad effects. He decided the quarry’s impact will be okay, considering the environment and local life.
The Brassington Moor Quarry crosses a road and has four quarry areas: Main, Barnfield, Pyro and Aldwark. A tunnel links them under the road. Aldwark Quarry will now grow south into a new part named Aldwark South.
That 27-hectare area will have digging on 17.6 hectares. It is farmland about 510 meters from Aldwark, and it’s also 400 meters from Longcliffe. Some woods and a pond are there.
No public paths go through the extension area, but important trails are nearby. These include the Pennine Bridleway, High Peak Trail, and the Limestone Way trails.
A special woodland area (Via Gellia) is close, 300 meters from the existing quarry and over 1 km from the extension. The Aldwark area is 300m from existing digging and over 500m from the new area. An ancient site (Moot Low Barrow) sits next to the quarry, 450m from the extension.
The council says they need pure rock with low cadmium, iron, and lead. Animal feed and glass industries need this rock. That’s why they approved the quarry.
Longcliffe makes raw goods used for animal feed and glass. Also, sealants, plastics and rubber need them. The raw goods are vital for concrete products and important for agricultural lime, which is used as aggregate.
Longcliffe will keep the Brassington Moor Quarry site, supposed to stop in 2035. They will build a road to the Curzon Lodge depot and promise to fix the area later. This includes a conservation project once the quarry closes.
Even with the extension, output will stay the same: 1.4 million tonnes each year. About 70% goes to industries, and the other 30% is for aggregate. Aldwark South will create 30 million tonnes of rock.
Henning said the output will remain constant. The extension unlocks 23.8 million more tonnes of high-purity limestone resource. This extends the quarry’s life by 27 years, moving the end date from 2035 to 2051-52.
The district council had no objections to the quarry. Their health team wants some rules followed. Noise, air quality, dust, light need management, and vibrations must be controlled.
Local councils had no objections to the proposal. The Peak District Park and Environment Agency agreed, as did Highway authorities, Natural England, and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust authorities.
Henning thinks the plan is efficient. It will obtain more mineral resources easily and is a good plan to help mining.
Henning stated no major issues exist, and the benefits of the plan outweigh negative aspects.