A quarry can extract up to 33 million tonnes of Peak District limestone with updated conditions agreed by national park chiefs.
The Beelow/Doveholes Quarry has permission dating back to 1948 to extract the stone from eight hectares of agricultural land, but to be allowed to continue doing so operators CEMEX must periodically agree a schedule of conditions with Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA) through a review of old minerals permission application (ROMP).
In a meeting of the planning committee, minerals planner Rory Bradford explained the conditions were to govern the management of the site and not restrict the working rights of the quarry.
The schedule covers issues such as the phased extraction and restoration of the site, noise, dust, vibration limits, ecological management, archaeological investigation, biodiversity net gains and protection of the hydrological environment.
Mr Bradford said CEMEX had agreed to biodiversity improvements that resulted in a 17 per cent net gain.
“Ultimately the main quarry void will be flooded to create a lake feature, with the benches landscaped and planted to help blend the site into the wider landscape,” he said.
The extraction of limestone from the quarry will be allowed until February 2042, after which the area must be restored.
Members unanimously voted in favour of the ROMP conditions.
