Quarry row set for appeal court

The authority claims quarrying is harming the landscape

The Peak District National Park has been granted permission to appeal against a High Court decision over quarrying at a site in Derbyshire.

The park authority, together with environmental and rural campaign groups, has opposed quarrying at Longstone Edge near Bakewell.

In April, the High Court heard an appeal from the quarrying company and granted it permission to resume.

The Court of Appeal will now review that decision.

It is hoped the appeal - which relates to limestone operations at Backdale at the eastern end of Longstone Edge - will be heard before the end of the year.

Decision welcomed

Quarry owner MMC Mineral Processing has refused to comment on the latest development in a long series of legal contests over the site.

MMC Mineral Processing had argued it had permission to remove the stone dating back 56 years but local people and the authority had said that should no longer apply.

National Park Authority chief executive Jim Dixon said: "We welcome this decision - it's clearly good news that the judges agreed with our case there is a need for serious scrutiny of the High Court judgment.

"However, we must make it clear that the authority will not be in a position to issue a stop notice at the site until the appeal has been heard.

"We will continue to pursue a permanent solution to the problems of quarrying, here and across the wider area of Longstone Edge."