UKC

Staden Quarry Access Update

© UKC News

There has been a new twist in the access situation to Staden Quarry (also know as Cow Dale) in the Peak.

Last January we reported about an access threat to Staden Quarry. At that time a planning application had been lodged to develop the quarry into a water bottling plant and business park with over 1000 parking spaces. It was unclear what the future of climbing would be with some reports about the site containing a climbing wall, others suggesting access would be maintained and others suggesting there would be no access. In the end this became immaterial when the planning application was rejected by High Peak Borough Council.

From the report:
"The proposed development would be harmful to the character and appearance of the countryside which is designated Special Landscape Area, and especially harmful to the character of Ashwood Dale as a result of the construction of the new access. The development will be harmful to the setting of the National park and harmful to ecological interests particularly the ancient woodland alongside the A6."
Full report here (PDF). Sign at Staden Quarry

Following the rejection of the application, permissive access for climbers was withdrawn and new signs (above) were erected - the land is in private ownership and there is no public access to it.

In a new development the landowner has stated that this is not a permanent exclusion and has even gone as far as to say that he will restore concessionary access for climbers after a second planning application for the water bottling plant and an appeal against refusal of an earlier application have been determined. He has clarified this by stating that restoration of concessionary access is not dependent upon the outcome of the planning process - access will be restored "whatever the outcome, one way or another".

Until then he has insisted that there is no concessionary access and has asked climbers to keep away.


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17 Mar, 2011
Looks like a realy pissed of farmer who has lost a lot of money is getting his own back
17 Mar, 2011
Agreed, I don't see what he gains from this action? It's not like the council pdf cites climbing as an issue. Hopefully this is a bitter knee-jerk and it will fade away. I could make him a cake?
17 Mar, 2011
Well his action here is to undertake to give us access no matter what. Why he has asked that climbers keep away until the hearing is a bit of a mystery, but it is certainly better news than we had before Christmas and as such, probably worth adhering to. Alan
17 Mar, 2011
Maybe he's busy moving the crag...
17 Mar, 2011
my guess is that he's trying to ensure that the site does not have any potential for access rights to be established. A common tactic of protestors to any development proposal is to claim rights of way, common land, even village greens to fragment and devalue a site in the eyes of potential investor/developers. The only way you can definitively prevent this is to demonstrate that you can close access, and even then, there may be enough historical evidence for a retrospective claim.
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