Agenda item

10:04 M Smith left the meeting

The Senior Minerals Planner presented the report of the Review of Minerals Permission (ROMP) for Hope Limestone works for Members to authorise the delegation to officers to agree a final Schedule of Conditions.  An enhanced restoration scheme had been submitted with the application for the first periodic review of the scheme of conditions.  The scheme was subject to 51 conditions which allowed mineral extraction to take place until 21 February 2042, with restoration to be completed no later than 21 February 2047, or from five years following the completion of the extraction.

Some Members had visited the site the previous day.

Members discussed the following points:

•         There was a statutory aftercare period that applied to mineral extraction sites.  Once the Authority agreed that restoration was completed, a 5-year aftercare period would commence, after which the site could be subject to development proposals in accordance with the Development Plan.

•         Clarification was sought on ownership of the land once the aftercare period ended.

•         The operator had a positive attitude to nature recovery.

•         The schedule of conditions was comprehensive, with cooperative work having been done between the PDNPA and the operators at Hope.

•         The surrounding area had natural features which echoed areas of the Minerals site that were no longer being worked.  Quarries were important for nature recovery in the Peak District.

•         Conditions set down in the extant 2006 planning permission had stood the test of time and enabled the business to continue requiring only minor changes to the schedule of conditions in the first ROMP due to the positive work between the Authority and the site operators.

A motion to APPROVE the application in accordance with the officer recommendation was moved, seconded, put to the vote and carried.

RESOLVED:

1.      That the Scheme of Conditions set out in Appendix A are agreed in principle, and that delegated authority is granted to the Head of Planning and Conservation to determine the final wording of the Scheme of Conditions following discussions with the Applicant