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Brian Dooks writes in the Yorkshire Post:
A CONTROVERSIAL application has been submitted to quarry another 111 acres
of land close to an ancient monument regarded as the "Stonehenge of the
North" – even though English Heritage is known to be strongly opposed.
Tarmac Northern wants to extract sand and gravel from Ladybridge Farm at
Nosterfield, near Ripon, which is within a mile of the Thornborough Henges –
three 5,500-year-old ancient monuments, which form part of a sacred
landscape across North Yorkshire.
Vale of York MP Anne McIntosh is now expected to ask the Deputy Prime
Minister John Prescott to call in the application for his own determination,
which would involve a public inquiry into the need to extract the sand and
gravel and its effect on the setting of Thornborough Henges.
The latest proposal does not include Thornborough Moor, surrounding the
henges, which Tarmac has previously indicated it intends asking North
Yorkshire County Council to include in a 'preferred area' for the extraction
of sand and gravel when the county mineral plan is reviewed.
In a statement issued to the Yorkshire Post yesterday, Tarmac sought to
reassure local people, including the Friends of Thornborough Henges, who
oppose any further quarrying, that the Ladybridge Farm application would not
damage the archaeology of the area.
But that view is in conflict with English Heritage which is funding a senior
lecturer at Newcastle University, Dr Jan Harding, to carry out extensive
archaeological research on the Thornborough landscape, including fieldwork
to discover the nature and preservation of remains around the henges.
In April it said: "Until the archaeological value of the landscape
surrounding the henges is better understood, English Heritage is firmly
opposed to any further gravel extraction in the Ladybridge Farm area."
Tarmac, which is a subsidiary of Anglo American – one of the world's largest
mining companies, said any future plans for Thornborough Moor would take
account of the archaeological and environmental value of the site and would
"under no circumstances affect the monument itself".
Its estates manager Bob Nicholson said that without the planned extension
Nosterfield Quarry would have to close and North Yorkshire would face a
shortfall in its supply of sand and gravel of 500,000 tonnes a year.
"Nosterfield Quarry would close in three years if we were unable to extend
the area of excavation. Clearly this would have a knock-on effect on local
jobs and construction projects. By extending the area of excavation to
Ladybridge Farm, we hope to extend the life of the quarry and continue to
supply much-needed sand and gravel into the local area."
Mr Nicholson said quarrying at Ladybridge Farm would include soil stripping
works monitored by an archaeologist to ensure any artefacts which might be
discovered were investigated and recorded. "As responsible quarry operators,
this care and respect for the environment and its archaeological heritage is
standard practice for Tarmac."
But chairman of the Friends of Thornborough Henges Jon Lowry said they would
oppose the scheme.
"I wrote to the managing director of Tarmac last week saying that they did
not stand a chance of getting permission and suggesting they should give the
land to a Thornborough Trust, but I did not get a reply."
North Yorkshire assistant director (planning and countryside unit) Simon
Smales confirmed the application had been received, but said it was likely
to take at least a year to prepare a report for the county's planning
committee.
"We have a huge environmental statement and the application is in a large
number of boxes," he said yesterday.
Something is not right. This message is just to keep things from messing up down the road