China clay giants surrender to National Park pressure groups

June 20th 2001

Environmental campaigners are celebrating today (June 20th) following an announcement that the two china clay companies operating on Dartmoor are to give up their quarrying permissions within the National Park.

This follows a long campaign by the Council for National Parks ⁽¹⁾ and the Dartmoor Preservation Association ⁽²⁾ to stop quarrying extensions into the National Park, which would have caused significant damage to the landscape, including a site of international archaeological importance.

"This is the most fantastic news: common sense and the National Park principle have triumphed", said CNP's President, Libby Purves. "This historic and beautiful space has been saved from what would have been a disaster. It is particularly heartening for this to be resolved now, after the very tough year that Dartmoor has been having, and on the 50th anniversary of the National Park's designation.

All credit to the two companies involved ⁽³⁾ for upholding National Park values in this way and, hopefully others who hold damaging old consents will follow suit".

Under old planning consents the companies had permission to dump china clay waste on Bronze Age antiquities and dig up a whole valley, very popular with visitors, next to National Trust land.

The Dartmoor National Park Authority had been waiting for a new environmental assessment to be submitted on the impact of these old consents.

Both CNP and the Dartmoor Preservation Association had asked the companies to consider giving up the consents voluntarily, to bring them into line with modern environmental standards and because of the bad publicity their plans had attracted.

"It's great news that one of the companies, Watts Blake Bearne, is investing in new technology to make its operations more efficient, instead of seeking ever more land for quarrying", said Libby Purves.

CNP had recently organised a summit of objectors to the plans, which included voluntary and statutory bodies, to discuss ways of stepping up the campaign against the extension this summer.

"There was huge concern amongst environmental bodies about this and we all now have something to celebrate", said Libby Purves.

Notes to editors

1  The Council for National Parks is the national charity that works to protect and enhance the National Parks of England and Wales and areas that merit National Park status, and promote understanding and quiet enjoyment of them for the benefit of all.
2  The Dartmoor Preservation Association is a registered charity, existing to protect and preserve public access and interest in Dartmoor. It campaigns to save Dartmoor's landscape; antiquities, flora and fauna, and cultural heritage.
3  The two companies are Imerys and Watts Blake Bearne, which put out a joint statement this morning saying that on the basis of their environmental assessment "in particular, the archaeological and ecological evidence compiled by our independent consultants, we believe that as responsible operators relinquishing the permissions we both hold within the Dartmoor National Park is the right thing to do".
4  There will now be a legal revocation of the minerals permissions, involving the Dartmoor National Park Authority and Devon County Council, for Area X (Blackabrook Valley); Area Y (Shaugh Moor) and Area z (Blackabrook Valley). 

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