UKC

https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/local-news/plans-homes-inside-disused...

Time to get outstanding projects ticked?

They are protecting the house from rock fall with a "catchment trench" so all the routes at LP will get to be another 15m higher.

More seriously, perhaps the BMC could negotiate access for the climbing?

I'm sure they will net off the cliff face as well. At least near the houses. 

Who would want to live in a depressing quarry anyway? They'll be building homes on top of landfill sites next...

Ohh, how much time do we have?

Surely you mean LPQ?

I'm not sure what this means, possibly being very dim here, but the nearest guess I can make is that you object to "LP" and would like to use  "LPQ" instead?

Worth putting in an objection to the planning maybe. Not sure 'I like climbing on the cliffs!' will cut it but potentially choose from the below:

-No affordable housing in quite a large development

-Not in keeping with the historic spa town

-I've not been to LPQ but has it been reclaimed by nature at all? Is there an environmental study conducted? Cliffs are often roosts/nesting sites for bats and birds and disused quarries often become important habitat for reptiles/amphibians/small mammals. One flicker from a horseshoe bat could delay things considerably and would certainly impact what the developers were allowed to do in terms of the cliffs. 

Be interesting to see where all the Lorries park? 

Just a bit of fun: Lower Pen Trwyn

Well has anyone contacted the BMC yet? I just sent Rob Dyer and email, however cares about the climbing there might want to consider doing the same. I'm particularly not that bothered as I only have two routes left to do there and I think I can get them done before building starts. But for future generations might be worth fighting for access.

Ahh - I thought there it was something like this.  Well the crag picture featured for LPT is way more beautiful than the equivalent for LPQ!

The lack of affordable housing and the frankly pathetic £57k offered towards building something elsewhere (read that as f off and live in a slum you poor people) would be my objections. 

Ignoring that, why would you want to live in the bottom of a dank quarry?

Final approval was due on Tuesday per the article so a bit late now. What impact would it actually have? Possibly no access during the building work. However once it’s built, I suspect it may well be fine. The article mentions some protective / stabilisation work but I suspect that’s only for the most chossy sections on the wings. It doesn’t mention netting throughout, though you’d have to look at the planning application to confirm that.

I imagine the main issue would be relations with the people living in the development - as long as climbers don’t make too much noise etc, it should be fine. Those people wouldn’t be the landowners of the crag anyway. Plus the crag access would be improved. Might even have some crag side parking (though that’s the kind of thing that can annoy the locals if it’s inconsiderate.

I may be being overly optimistic here and it would certainly make sense for the BMC to make some enquiries but I wouldn’t be overly concerned at this stage.

As for the development, it’s a good use of brownfield land. 

I suspect unfortunately that's very optimistic. Hasn't access already been lost in one of the quarries somewhere just below the lane up to Masson lees because they built house there? Looking at the plan for Lorry Park it looks like you'd be walking along and then climbing at the bottom of people's gardens - suspect that won't be popular. 

This would be a sad loss to Peak climbing. However the access route from the CC car park looks to be still available and unless they cut into it the margin/bank beneath the wall would provide a reasonable buffer. Climbing here has been going on for 40+ years. Perhaps that would give our case some weight if it came to an argument for access ? If it gets built ?

I might have misinterpreted it but thought the crag was on the other side of the drive from the houses?

You might be right there looking again, although one garden goes towards the face. It still seems rather unlikely the new residents will be that keen on climbers being over the close from them!

Is there a "friends of LPQ"?

Yeah that's exactly how it looks to me. Looks like you would still be able to just walk up that new drive then head off up the bank on the left to the foot of the crag. There's only one garden facing the cliff and it's not clear if the climbing area extends that far. The quarry is pretty big and the climbing sector relatively small, maybe just 70ish metres long.

Well part of the problem with living in an overcrowded country is you have to accept compromises. Many people live in houses right next main roads which is surely far, far worse.

There's also extensive tree cover at the foot of the base of the crag, so much so that you can't even see the crag from the bottom so I'd be surprised if it was an issue. When I've walked up there you can't see if anyone is climbing there until you're nearly at the base of crag.

I didn't read this as "up the bank" but more "down the trench" which will be dug out to contain falling rocks.  The planning doc refers to the trench but I'll confess I couldn't tell you if this is up or down from the diagram.