UKC

Last week we reported that access to the much-loved venue of Staden Quarry was under threat from a major industrial development.
We have been contacted by Ben Dean, who is acting on behalf of the developer Express Park Buxton, with the following statement regarding the developer's intentions...

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=51453

In reply to UKC News:

Good to see that at least we're not being ignored. Quite looking forward to the BMC meeting now.

In reply to jonny2vests:

That appears to be better news than previously thought.

I would encourage at the meeting for the developers to outline their proposals as they have done for UKC, so all attending can be informed.

Good to have some transparrancy (sp!) on the issue and hopefully the BMC can work with the developers in understaing the implications of such a scheme.

Si

In reply to Simon:


Only from a purely selfish point of view. I'm a fan of Peak limestone but I'd say the issue is less that climbers might lose a few routes and more that they are developing something like this so close to the national park.

In reply to UKC News:

This sounds encouraging. Does anyone know if he has been invited to the Peak area meeting on 17th Feb?

Cheers

In reply to Lurkio:

Makes a change to be fighting over "bottling" rather than "bolting" at a trad limestone crag!

In reply to Lurkio:

Yes, I have invited him.

In reply to UKC News: free parking , toilets sounds like its gonna be an indoor wall outside but with loads of bloody tourists watching just incase something bad happens
they will be handing out free water and t-shirts next

In reply to UKC News:

I'm pleased that they're not intending to restrict access to or charge for access to the current Staden cliffs.

However, if that is the case, how the heck would their "climbing" and "visitors'" centre ever be commercially viable? Especially if it doesn't even include a climbing wall until a possible 2nd phase. It would essentially be a cafe; I've no objection to those, but there's not a chance that a cafe there would be viable, particularly as Staden climbing is a venue for hot summer only.

In reply to Tyler:

Our NP's have lot's of industry in them, and, if viable/desirable to the local ecomomy, tucking it away in a quarry id being quite sensitive? I'd rather look at the field when climbing but rather that than having it somewhere more sensitive.

In reply to UKC News:

Press release issued this aft from Friends of the Peak District, for immediate release:

Local countryside campaigners are horrified at plans for a massive bottling factory in a treasured spot of land near Buxton.
Proposals for a five-hectare water bottling plant at Cowdale Quarry will eventually be part of an even larger 20 hectare industrial estate with extensive units and car parking.
“This scheme must not go ahead!” says John King, Planning Officer at Friends of the Peak District1. “It goes completely against the council’s own planning policies, and will totally destroy a tranquil spot of local countryside.”
Cowdale has not been quarried since the nineteen fifties. Since then the site has reverted back to nature, and is very popular with local people for walking, climbing, picnicking and other recreational activities. The development would be visible from both the Peak District National Park and the Midshires Way long distance footpath.
“Cowdale Quarry is part of a really important buffer zone between the Peak Park and Buxton,” John King continues. “It’s crucial that we stop industrial sprawl, noise and light pollution encroaching on our national park.”
Friends of the Peak District also has serious concerns about access to the development, and pollution in the area.
“At the moment there is just a small track from the A6 to the site. Building an access road will mean blasting stone and felling significant numbers of protected trees. The massive increase in cars, vans and lorries to the site would also result in unacceptable noise, fumes and carbon emissions. It’s just not sustainable,” says John King.
The planning application is now with High Peak Borough Council. Friends of the Peak District is among many local groups and people lobbying to get it refused.
“We are calling on anyone who values the tranquillity of our local countryside to write to High Peak Borough Council and demand that they refuse this outrageous application,” John King says.

In reply to UKC News: Good news as far as it goes. It would have been useful if the developers had actually included more of this information in their planning application, especially a decent site plan where this 17metre boundary could be seen. It would probably have saved me the effort of submitting an objection.

Given the large size of the site I think that there is plenty of scope for leaving rather more than 17 metres of clear space around the principle climbing areas. However there is certainly enough for further discussion and probably no grounds for major objections on the sole basis of impact on climbing.

In reply to UKC News:

Good report in the Buxton Advertiser yesterday.

http://www.buxtonadvertiser.co.uk/news/Bad-for-Peak--.6024109.jp