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STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE PLANNING AUTHORITY IN RESPECT OF PA 11/0365 – EXTENSION OF TIME FOR QUARRYING, STONEY MOUNTAIN QUARRY, STONEY MOUNTAIN ROAD, EAIRY, MALEW
The site represents the working area of Stoney Mountain Quarry, a Government-operated quarry situated to the west of the A3 Foxdale Road and to the south of the Stoney Mountain Road. The location plan on which the site is defined, indicates an area which is the same as that of three recent applications - see below. The site is accessed from Stoney Mountain Road which leads to the Tosaby Road (B36) which leads north to the A24 highway which links Douglas with Foxdale.
The site lies within an area designated on the Town and Country Planning (Development Plan) Order 1982 as an Area for Surface Mineral Working. On the draft Southern Area Plan the site lies within an area of Upland Landscape Character within a smaller area of Woodland/Registered Trees. The quarry itself is annotated as "Stoney Mountain" but not designated for any particular use or form of development.
The guidance provided in respect of this landscape area is as follows:
"The overall strategy for the area is to conserve and enhance the character, quality and distinctiveness of the open and exposed character of the moorland, its uninterrupted skyline and panoramic views, its sense of tranquility and remoteness and its wealth of cultural heritage features." Key views include open and expansive panoramic views out to sea and over the southern portion of the Island and distant views in some areas enclosed by the surrounding peaks.
The following planning applications have been considered in respect of this site:
PA 84/00882/A - Approval in principle to removal of existing plant and erection of buildings and plant for the purification of quartz, Renshent Quarry, Malew Status - Permitted
PA 92/01380/B - Extension of existing quarry, Stoney Mountain Quarry, Malew. Status - Permitted
PA 03/01867/C - Continued operation of quarry for a further five years Status - Permitted 10th May 2004 Conditions
PA 08/01638/C - One year extension to existing planning permission (03/01867/C) Status - Permitted 13th October 2008 Conditions
PA 09/00955/B - Extension to working area of existing quarry Status - Permitted 23rd October 2009 Conditions
PA 09/00970/LAW - Certificate of Lawfulness for storage and processing of inert waste Status - Certificate of Lawfulness APPROVED
PA 09/01544/B - Extension to existing quarry Status - pending consideration
PA 10/0335 - one year extension to existing planning permission (PA 08/1638). This was considered by the Council of Ministers following a recommendation by an independent inspector who commented: "I have no reason to doubt that the determination of application PA 09/1544 to extend the quarry will be subject to the application of Minerals Policy 1 of the Strategic Plan that requires an applicant to demonstrate a) the need the mineral which cannot be through the provision of secondary aggregates and b) that there will be no unacceptable adverse effects on residential amenity, landscape, heritage and habitat assets etc. It has not been suggested that the current application should be the subject of such a level of scrutiny and, given that the application is merely a request for an extension for 12 months of previously approved quarrying, I consider that this would be unduly onerous. Apart from the noise and vibration of blasting and heavy goods vehicles hauling the quarried material on the local road network, the continued operation of this secluded quarry for a further year is unlikely to have a significant impact" (his paragraph 13).
THE PROPOSAL Now proposed is a further extension of time for quarrying in accordance with the original approval - PA 03/1867 - essentially an amendment to condition 2 of that approval which originally provided
for five years of quarrying only. Planning permission has been sought for a physical extension of the quarry - PA 09/1544 which has yet to be determined and it is likely that the permission to continue to quarry mineral from this quarry under the various recent planning approvals will expire before any further permission is granted to extend the quarry physically. This was the case with the previous application for the extension of time - PA 10/0335 and as that application has still not yet been determined, the situation remains the same.
As such, and as the full approved extent of quarrying has not yet been exhausted, a further permission is sought to be able to quarry at the site beyond the latest time when works must cease. The original approval for the extension to the quarry was granted under PA 92/1380 on 10th February, 1994 for a period of ten years. A five year extension was sought in 2003 and a further year sought and granted in 2008 and expired on 31st May, 2010. A further application, PA 10/0335 further extended this until May 2011. An application was submitted and approved to modify the western boundary of the quarry reflecting work which had been undertaken, under PA 09/0955 which was tied into the original approval in terms of the conditions of the operation of the quarry.
It is now proposed to further extend the life of the quarry by a further year. The plans received show that there is still mineral left to be quarried within the limit of what was permitted originally.
The only views received indicate that the local authority has no objection.
The proposal will not result in any different operations being carried out at Stoney Mountain Quarry than have been carried out on the site, only that the authorised operations will continue for a further year beyond the allotted time. This is in order to provide for discussion on the further extension of the quarry to take place and the consideration of the application which has been lodged - PA 09/1544.
There are no objections to the application and it is considered that the continued operation of the quarry for a further year will not have any adverse impact on those living and working in the vicinity of the site. The approval should be subject to the same conditions as the original approval reflecting those applied to PA 10/0335.
If approved, the following condition is recommended:
This permission relates to the amendment of condition 2 of the decision issued in respect of PA 03/1867 insofar as work in accordance with the terms of that permission may continue until 31st May, 2012.
This statement has been prepared on behalf of the Planning Authority by Miss Sarah Corlett, BSc(Hons) MRTPI, Planning Officer
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