Blow Away The Cobwebs – Part II

Following their initial article, published in Quarry Management in August 2006, introducing an imaginative restoration scheme for an undisclosed quarry somewhere in the depths of West Yorkshire, The Mineral Planning Group are now in a position to reveal all….

By Martin Millmore and Jessica Morgan

Bank Top Quarry at Wilsden, near Bradford, was the subject of the 2006 article and the topic of discussion on many lips following the submission of a planning application for an extension to the quarry that also included an imaginative and innovative restoration scheme.

Following the discovery that a relation of the landowner was an amateur archaeologist who had found examples of ‘cup and ring’ stones in adjacent land, a new concept was created for the restoration design at Bank Top Quarry. Cup and ring stones are a range of rock-carved symbols that are found mainly in northern England and Scotland, and are estimated to be in the region of 4,000–5,000 years old, dating back to the Neolithic and Bronze ages. The carvings are generally made up of circular hollows surrounded by circular channels, linked together by lined grooves. It is thought that they may have been used for religious and ritual purposes.

Also found in the region are large henges, which have also been incorporated within the cup and ring design. The idea was to create archaeological ‘art in the landscape’ based upon the cup and ring design, with three main circular features linked together by dry-stone walls within a triangular field structure. The three features will be made up of concentric circles, in keeping with the cup and ring designs, and will be raised above ground level to make them more prominent, akin to a henge. As the design is on the quarry floor, approximately 10–15m below the surrounding ground level, members of the public will be able to observe the whole design from a higher platform, the adjacent Millennium Way footpath, as well as walk around the site.

The restoration scheme includes open pasture for cattle, allowing the farmer to continue using the land productively. The remaining land surrounding the central enclosure and henges will be designated as wild pasture, leaving plants and shrubs to create a natural habitat. By allowing cattle to graze in the open pasture the grass will be kept short, maintaining the visual prominence of the triangular shape, while allowing the outer land to grow ‘wild’. There will be few, if any, maintenance costs.

Large blocks of quarry waste will be used to create artificial badger setts. Planted within one henge will be alternating concentric rings of various species of deciduous trees. These will not only create a variety of habitats for birds, mammals and insects, but will also maintain the concentric ring design with variations in colour through the different seasons.

One henge has been designed as open grassland with concentric dry-stone walls, which will create a habitat for small mammals and birds. Each of the rings will be raised to different levels, the middle circle being the highest and the outer circle being the lowest, with grass ramps linking the different levels. This henge will be left open for cattle to roam within, ensuring the grass is kept short.

An ephemeral pond will allow a variety of aquatic species, such as newts and frogs, to take up residence, which, in turn, will attract a variety of birds and mammals. Specially designed bird and bat boxes will be introduced to encourage nesting/roosting. Positioned at the base of the final quarry faces on the south side of the site, large piles of rock debris will create refuges for small mammals and insects and also adjacent feeding grounds for foxes and raptors.

The planning application was re-submitted to Bradford Metropolitan District Council on 28 June 2007 following the addition of several mitigation measures. Over 68 letters of support were received for the application (in contrast to the 12 objecting representations). The application was recommended for approval, with the committee report favourably discussing the restoration proposals throughout. In particular, the report commented that: the restoration proposals were consistent with objectives for the use of land in the Green Belt; would increase biodiversity; and would have a long-term positive impact on landscape character and increase the visual amenity value of the locality for both walkers and residents.

The application was approved by Bradford Metropolitan District Council’s Area Planning Panel on 18 October 2007, with the final of the three reasons for granting planning permission stating:

‘The proposed restoration of the site will contribute positively to the character of the landscape, add to the recreational value of the area, increase biodiversity and is consistent with the objectives for the use of land in the Green Belt….’

The inclusion of the above reason for approval of this planning permission highlights the importance of innovative restoration proposals when submitting planning applications for quarrying and/or waste developments.

Quarry restoration schemes are a fundamental component of planning applications, providing applicants with an opportunity to do something interesting and potentially unique that will create positive interest from the public. An original, innovative proposal can continue into the future, defining the landscape and improving the character and amenity of the area, while maintaining an element of the quarrying history on the land. It can also help to create a more positive attitude towards mining and waste developments by including an element of local history, archaeology or culture in the design. Holding public clinics and including discussions, forums and meetings with the public in the design of restoration proposals can be an excellent first step in generating ideas for restoration proposals, while allowing for public comment on issues and concerns.

The Mineral Planning Group hope that this latest concept might be the start of a new way of designing restoration schemes, ultimately contributing to the overall acceptance of new mineral workings by mineral planning authorities and local communities. It has the potential to become the deciding factor between approval and refusal and, with the odds already stacked against mineral applications, opportunities for new approaches to final restoration designs should not be dismissed.

For further information, contact Martin Millmore or Jessica Morgan on tel: (01274) 884599/884699; or email: [email protected]