Pip’s Patch

ARC News Service - a report by the monitoring team of the Association of Rural Communities after the August meeting of the YDNPA planning committee.

Dry Rigg Quarry, Helwith Bridge – Even though many objectors attended the meeting Lafarge was given permission to continue extracting “gritstone” (dark grey siltstones) from Dry Rigg Quarry for another ten years – as long as it signs a legal agreement to halve the amount it sends out  by road by the end of 2013 and carries out an extensive restoration scheme.  Extraction work will be carried out by deepening the present quarry site.

In his report to the YDNPA planning committee the planning officer, David Parish, stated that although the quarry supplied a high performance aggregate used for road surfacing this was not considered to constitute a “national need”. Such extraction  work is not allowed in National Parks except in exceptional circumstances and the Campaign to Protect Rural England stated: “Quarrying within this National Park seriously comprises the Authority’s remit to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the countryside and its wildlife.” At a site meeting in July Lafarge stated that there were only three sites in the Yorkshire Dales and two in Cumbria which supplied rock to such a high specification.

Natural England supports the restoration scheme and those at the site meeting were able to see the pilot project which had produced an alkaline fen with the characteristics of the local SSSI and where 26 different species of breeding birds had been seen. This, Lafarge argued, showed that the whole quarry area could be restored. The company must undertake and fully fund the monitoring work, after-care and management of the land for 20 years after the site has been restored.

The YDNPA received 52 responses when it advertised Lafarge’s application and the majority of these pointed out the adverse impact that the heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) had on Ribblesdale and Settle. It was felt that this and the quarrying did undermine tourism and other industries in the area. Some local residents could now see parts of the quarry as the screening bunds had sunk into the bog. Mr Parrish stated that the scar created by the quarrying of the hillside below Moughton Nab was visible to walkers over a wide area.

Lafarge was keen to use rail haulage but it was proving difficult to put a rail head at the site without affecting an SSSI. It would require the assistance of the YDNPA and Network Rail to get a rail link in place. The YDNPA planning committee insisted on the amount being brought out by HGVs being cut by late 2013 to encourage Lafarge to create a rail link.

Barth Bridge, Gawthrop, Dent – A majority of the YDNPA planning committee members accepted the advice of the enforcement officer that the platform which had been constructed in a field west of Barth Bridge by Dr J Ashton  must be removed. On occasions since September 2010 a yurt (a large, light coloured circular tent) had been positioned on this platform. In June 2011 two tents, portable toilets and other equipment had been seen in the field. The enforcement officer informed the committee that the unauthorised use of the land as a recreational campsite had this year exceeded the 28 days allowed under permitted development rights. The enforcement notice includes the cessation of the use of the land as a recreational campsite, the removal of the tents and toilets, and the restoration of the site to a green field. Dr Ashton’s retrospective application for planning permission for the new field track in that field was approved subject to conditions.

The Old Slaughter House, Horton-in-Ribblesdale – The need for affordable housing in the Dales was one of the main reasons why the planning committee accepted the officer’s recommendation to grant permission for three dwellings to be built at The Old Slaughter House. This will be subject to a S106 agreement restricting the occupancy of the dwellings to persons meeting the YDNPA’s local needs criteria and conditions. Horton-in-Ribblesdale parish council had opposed the application as it was felt that the two three-bedroomed houses and one two-bedroomed house would be an over-development of the constricted site and added: “The development is unsympathetic and detrimental to this sensitive site and the adjoining listed buildings.” The parish councillors were also concerned that there would be inadequate parking provision and had grave concerns about potential flooding and pollution of the beck. There were no objections from the  Environment Agency, Yorkshire Water Services Ltd or United Utilities.

Reeth – It was agreed to hold a site meeting on September 23 on the land at the rear of Metcalfe’s Farm in Reeth. The planning officer has recommended that the application to build one three-bedroomed house there should be refused. The application will be discussed at the October meeting of the planning committee.

Bruntacres Trading Estate, Hawes – As GTEC Training Ltd had refused to change the colour of the reconstituted stone that it planned to clad its training centre on Bruntacres Trading Estate the YDNPA planning committee refused permission for such stone to be used. In the original planning permission it was stated that natural stone should be used but the company had pointed out that this would be very expensive. At the July meeting the committee saw a photograph of the sample panel of the proposed reconstituted stone and agreed with the parish council and residents that this would be too stark and too bright, particularly on a large building which overlooked nearby housing.

The parish council was very concerned that a planning officer had without consultation allowed GTEC Training Ltd to enlarge the building by three feet in width and by one feet and three inches in height from that approved by the planning committee last September. The parish council and some residents had made it very clear that they were concerned about the scale and massing of the building. The YDNPA had advised the parish council that the planning officer had granted this “minor amendment” a matter of days before she had left the employment of the Authority