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The site as defined in red on Figure 2 represents the present extent of Cringle Quarry, together with land alongside the vehicular entrance, and land to the west into which it is proposed that the quarry will extend. The site lies on the western side of the A27 Road which runs from the A36 shoulder road which links The Sloc with the A3 Ballamodha Straight. The quarry presently occupies 1.1 ha (2.8 acres) with the bottom of the quarry approximately 1.5m above road level alongside the site, but some 20 below the natural level of the land to the north and south of the quarry. There are two higher levels above the main quarry floor, at 14m and 18m above the main floor. The top of the quarried area is approximately the same level as the A36 with a raised area between - thus the quarry is not presently visible at all from public views from the north and west along the A36. From the south the quarry is not visible until one gets to the entrance on the A27. Views of the quarry are available from the slopes of South Barrule once one rises above the conifer belt to the north east of the site, South Barrule being the highest peak in the southern uplands of the Island (483m AOD) and lying to the north east of the site.
The land to the north, west and south of the site is heathland.
The site of the existing quarry is identified on the Isle of Man Planning Scheme (Development Plan) Order 1982 as "Area for surface mineral working". The area for the extension is within an area of hlv and land owned by the Forestry Mines and Lands Board or Government Property Trustees.
The site has been the subject of a number of applications:
Proposed is the extension of the quarry in a westerly direction - up to a further 230m and extending further south by approximately 140m than is the existing quarry. The new quarry floor will be at the same level as the existing with two bench levels at the western and southern edges at 300m AOD and 310m AOD - the level of the natural ground surrounding it being higher still. The area of the new quarry would be 3.1 ha (7.65 acres).
The application also includes in its description the inclusion of a re-cycling facility within the quarry. However, no plans have been submitted which illustrate where this is to be undertaken and the Environmental Statement prepared does not include this or make any reference to it. As such, the proposal should be only for the extension to the quarry.
The current approved extraction rates are in the order of 250,000 tons over 10 years with 40,000 tons a year presently extracted with an expectation that demand will continue at this level. The applicant indicates that he cannot continue with this approved level of extraction with health and
safety requirements although the location of the quarry and the quality of stone is such that continued operation is considered appropriate and desirable.
The application includes correspondence from Department of Trade and Industry which indicates that they would have no objection to the submission of an application for expansion of the quarry and would be prepared to consider a new lease for the extended area. Further correspondence from Department of Trade and Industry provides information about resources within the Island and suggest that their research suggests that the demand for Manx Group Formation stone (the type extracted at Dreemskerry, Cringle, the Starch mill quarry, Earystane, South Barrule and two small operations at Laurel Bank and Ballaneven) has increased by 3% (around 10% of the total Island demand for minerals) and the demand for igneous rock (found at Stoney Mountain and Poortown quarries) has decreased by 2% - sand gravel and limestone have remained at their 7 year average of 50% and 20% of the demand respectively.
Uses of Manx Formation Group stone include general fill (Type 1) and of the seven quarries producing this, only Dreemskerry, Cringle, Laurel Bank and Ballaneven Farm are suggested as being future suppliers although planning permission has recently been granted for the extension of Earystane Quarry (PA 08/01790) and Dreemskerry has also been the subject of an application for expansion (PA 07/01841) which has yet to be finally determined. Dreemskerry has been consistently the highest provider of Manx Formation stone with Cringle second which produces mainly Type 1 material with some building stone. The Starch Mill Quarry at Ballaugh produces a low amount of drystone aggregate (hardcore) and building stone and the Department of Trade and Industry considers it unlikely that this quarry would increase its production if Cringle Quarry is not extended. Earystane is said to produce mainly wailing stone. South Barrule Quarry is described as producing wailing stone for Department of Transport contracts and that there is no present intention to increase output here. The Laurel Bank and Ballaneven Farm sites both produce mineral as part of another primary use of these sites - Laurel Bank has ceased.
If the proposals at Dreemskerry are approved, this would provide 1.76 million tonnes, effectively providing 32 years' worth of mineral based upon existing output levels. If the proposed works at Cringle are permitted this would provide 1.26 million tonnes - almost 21 years' worth of mineral based on existing output levels. They note that the above proposals would only help to preserve the current levels of Manx Formation Group stone in meeting the Island's needs. However, they identify a potential need for this stone to supplement an identified shortage at the Point of Ayre this would reduce the tonnage of stone which would be available. They suggest that use of the granite resource at Stoney Mountain would assist in satisfying any future need although planning permission would be required.
Alternatives to the proposed works at Cringle Quarry include expanding Dreemskerry Quarry, increasing operation at South Barrule, accessing offshore resources or off-Island sources. The future of the Dreemskerry application is presently unknown, there is unlikely to be a short term increase in the operations at South Barrule as there are uncertainties about the stone and laboratory tests are being undertaken to ascertain whether the aggregate could be produced which would be commercially viable. Offshore prospecting licences have been issued to Department of Trade and Industry in respect of areas off the north east and north west coasts of the Island but initial indications are that sand and gravel would be the predominant material. Importing material from off-Island would be costly and would directly impact the cost of building on the Island.
Department of Trade and Industry describe Cringle as "the only quarry with the consented reserved and short term capacity to feasibly accommodate any increase in demand" and "the current application is to address the longer term viability" of the quarry. If both Dreemskerry and Cringle applications are refused the future supply would be significantly affected.
Also, correspondence from Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Wildlife and Conservation indicates that the heathland surrounding the existing quarry supports red grouse which
are not found in great numbers on the Island and that further information from the Manx Game Preservation Society would be useful in this respect. They also cite hen harriers, skylark, meadow pipit, kestrel, and curlew in this area and the breeding skylark and hen harrier are a particular concern. They also express concern about the loss of heathland and the loss of such land must be weighed against the need for the mineral - is this the only or best site available. A proper survey for lizards is necessary to see if lizards actually inhabit the site rather than the edges of the heathland. Dragonflies and damselflies have been seen at the pond, which is outside of the area for work but may be affected by the proposed quarrying, frogs may be present and a restoration plan will be required, indicating whether progressive restoration is proposed or simply restoration at the end of the quarrying works. They suggest that offsite mitigation - provision of funding for improvements to other areas may be a possibility for enhanced mitigation if on-site mitigation is not possible to offset the loss of habitat.
Correspondence from Manx National Heritage indicates that the loss of heathland may be a concern and that the application should include a full assessment of the proposed works on the ecology and appearance of the area. No specific view points or species are referred to in this pre-application correspondence.
Manx Bird Atlas were consulted prior to the submission of the application which indicates that mapping of species of interest is attached although it is not included in the application information. Species identified include curlew, dunnock, hen harrier, peregrine, short-eared owl, snipe, swallow, teal and woodcock which are not considered to be threatened by the proposals, and also, goldcrest and song thrush are present in the area but not considered to by under threat from the proposal. The loss of habitat will affect meadow pipit and skylark but the amount of heathland to be lost is "small and is unlikely to greatly influence the fortunes of either species". Of most concern is the impact on the red grouse. They recommend amending the area for quarrying to proceed less far in a westerly direction and proceed further south instead or provision of a green-offset financial contribution towards the work of the Manx Grouse Research Project to allow them to continue their management of the remaining areas of the southern hills and creation of further areas suitable for this species.
The application takes the form of a set of plans showing the proposed extent of the new extraction and an Environmental Statement which sets out in more detail the proposed works, potential concerns and mitigation. It states that the current lease agreement expires in 2012 and explains that the land on which the quarry is situated and the surrounding heathlands belong to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the applicant has a lease with them which runs in tandem with the lease from the Department of Trade and Industry to mine. They explain that the rate of extraction was significantly increased leaving less mineral remaining in the reserves from 2004 onwards. The proposed extension will occupy 3.1ha (7.65 acres) compared with the existing quarry which is 1.2ha (2.95 acres) and of this new area, 2.7ha (6.67 acres) will be actually quarried. Cringle pond lies approximately 130m to the north west of the currently excavated area.
The submission describes how the extractive industry represents approximately of the national workforce. It also states that the annual demand for primary aggregate on the Island is likely to be approximately 500,000 tonnes per year, historically, around 80,000 of the overall demand has been supplied from the Manx Group, allowing sand and gravel, limestone and igneous mineral types to be optimised for higher value products and Cringle Quarry supplies of the Manx Group aggregates in 2007 with the reserves exhausted in 2009. The application states that even if the proposals to extend Dreemskerry are accepted, a significant amount of this will be used to supplement the current shortfall in gravel at Cemex Island Aggregates Ltd operation at the Point of Ayre. They suggest that one of the alternatives to the extension of Cringle Quarry could be an increase in the supply from secondary aggregates – recycling construction and demolition wastes and in 2006 of the overall mineral demand was supplied in this way. However there is no certainty that a continued supply at the required level will be available in the future.
Alternatives to the proposed scheme include quarrying to the south or north. However, it is considered that quarrying to the south would open up the visual impact of the quarry to a wider area and quarrying to the north may result in a lesser visual impact but would come closer to the pond and the catchment area therefore. All options would result in a loss of heathland.
Current practice involves conventional excavation techniques – blasting has not been carried out on the site since 2003. Traffic uses the A27 and A36 regional roads. Water which collects within the quarry after periods of rainfall is filtered through a silt trap and hydrocarbon interceptor before being discharged off site. A discharge licence is held for this. Operations within the quarry will continue to be crushing and screening in addition to the excavation itself. Topsoil and overburden excavated as part of the quarrying operation will be used in restoration as areas become available.
New fencing will be erected around the quarry edge, an earth bank will be constructed at the southern end of the existing entrance. The existing overburden which has been placed around the quarry edge will be removed as it does not achieve any screening and rather increases the visual impact of the quarry, site lines will be improved at the entrance to 54m in both directions. Excavation will commence at the north and west of the existing quarry void areas and progress in a south westerly direction continuing to the final floor level of 290m AOD until the northern face of the extension is reached. This vertical approach will minimise the speed at which the heathland will be lost – the extension taking 20 years to complete. No restoration of the northern face will occur until full extraction has been carried out as this will be used for access between the benches of the existing and proposed quarry. Quarry working hours are presently 0730 – 1700hrs Monday to Friday and 0730 – 1230hrs Saturday. There is no proposal to change this. Up to 7 people work at the quarry with additional personnel involved in maintenance, contracting and supplies.
Existing traffic levels will be maintained and the existing road sweeper which is used to clean the road if necessary, rather than using a wheel wash on site, will continue to be used. No addition lighting is proposed.
Restoration is proposed although it is noted that the mineral reserves continue beyond the proposed quarry boundary. After quarrying ceases, all plant and machinery will be removed and monitoring of water discharge will continue for a year after cessation of activities. The restoration involves the retention of the excavated profile but covered with topsoil and planted with heathland mix on the sides and a marsh area on part of the quarry floor which will be regraded to retain water. The fencing will be retained around the top edge of the quarry with new gorse planted around the edge as an additional barrier. The faces of the quarry will be retained.
The closest residential property is more than 1km away to the south east of Cringle Reservoir.
The Ecological survey of the application site did not reveal any flora which is protected by the Wildlife Act 1990 nor any bats or mammals. The following birds were recorded on the site and which are protected by the Act: curlew, common crossbill, hen harrier, kestrel, peregrine falcon, reed bunting, skylark, song thrush and whinchat. In addition, short-eared owls and jack snipe may also be present during the winter period. No lizards were observed on site and it is considered by the applicant that any lizard population on the site is likely to be very small and given the abundance of suitable habitat in the surrounding area it is considered unlikely that the proposed would be important or critical for this species, if present.
Impact on ecology will occur through the loss of habitat, the fragmentation of habitat, stress placed upon surviving species, dust issuing from the quarry, increased human activity, hydrological changes. Mitigation of these impacts include the gradual loss of the heathland and the creation of new heathland through the restoration proposals. The applicant also proposes to contribute to enhance the management of other areas in the vicinity through provision of manpower and machinery for management actions or a grant towards the works through Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. It is stressed that the area to be lost is only a small part of a much wider landscape of heathland.
Work is proposed to be undertaken to the heathland outside the bird nesting season or a qualified ornithologist will undertake a survey of the area before heathland is removed. A survey for lizards and frogs will be undertaken and an appropriate mitigation scheme devised with Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry including capture and relocation of the species. Whilst no orchids were found on the site a survey would be undertaken to ensure that none are destroyed during the operations.
A gauge board is to be installed at the pond to monitor water levels although it is considered that the proposed activities will not affect the pond. Current monitoring of the water downstream of the quarry, at the Silverburn reveals that the water is unpolluted and soft which illustrates that the present quarrying does not adversely affect the water quality. Monitoring of dust will be undertaken and stripping of soil not undertaken in dry and windy weather conditions.
In terms of visual impact, the applicant states that the works will not be directly visible from any Conservation Area or from with the Area of High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance and the only clear view of the quarry is from the south western slopes of South Barrule. It is suggested that prompt restoration of the benches at the top of the void would mitigate the increased visibility of the east facing quarry rim.
There is a range of archaeological sites of interest around the application site, most of which lie outside the area for extraction.
The existing entrance is to be modified by pulling back the existing embankment and introducing a grassed splay to achieve splays of 2m by 54m in both directions.
Two residents of Maughold support the application as it represents an opportunity for the quarrying of stone without environmental and traffic constraints.
Arbory Parish Commissioners indicate that they have no comments to make.
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Forestry, Amenity and Lands Division who support the comments made by Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Wildlife and Conservation Section and should these concerns be resolved then Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry would be prepared to negotiate a Lease as surface land owner.
Manx National Heritage raise concerns in respect of the reference in the Environmental Statement to the gradual loss of heathland being considered “unlikely to have a significant impact on the value and integrity of the overall heathland resource” as this does not take into account other possible pressure on Manx heathland including the possible extension of Stoney Mountain Quarry (which is not yet the subject of a planning application) and suggest that if the application is to be permitted then the application should be required by condition to reinstate the worked out areas of the quarry as soon as possible.
In respect of archaeology they recommend a condition requiring the mitigation described in the Environmental Statement in respect of sites of archaeological interest listed in the application.
They express concern about the visual impact of the proposals as viewed from South Barrule and suggest that this must be weighed against the need for the mineral.
A resident of Port Soderick suggests that there is a need for the mineral but doubts that there is a need for both Dreemskerry and Cringle quarries to be extended. He accepts that there are minimal impacts from the proposal and suggests that the extension of both quarries would offer commercial competition.
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Wildlife and Conservation Division summarise that their concerns relate to the loss of heathland and key grouse breeding habitat which needs to be weighed against the need for the development and suggest that there may be opportunities for improving the heathland and management of the heathland in the area around the quarry to the benefit of birdlife and the Forestry Amenity and Lands Board may be able to assist as they will need to issue a licence to undertake the work, in addition to any planning permission. They recommend that Ulex europeaus should not be introduced and Ulex gallii could be which is a local strain of this vegetation. They also recommend that if the area is to be cleared in summer a qualified ecologist inspects the site beforehand, any sightings of lizards are reported to Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and a monitoring programme is established and continues throughout the life of the quarry, the planting involved in the restoration must be from reputable sources (Manx Wildlife Trust is recommended), the new permanent pond is extended and deepened to provide for biodiversity and clarification over the checking of the gauge board in the pond.
Department of Local Government and the Environment Estates and Housing comment that they have no comments to make and that the application is for a waste disposal site.
The proposal should be judged against the provisions of the Strategic Plan, in particular
"to plan for the efficient and effective provision of services and infrastructure and to direct and control development and the use of land to meet the community's needs, having particular regard to the principles of sustainability whilst at the same time preserving, protecting and improving the quality of the environment, giving particular regard to our uniquely Manx natural, wildlife, cultural and built heritage".
In respect of this policy whilst the quality of the environment may be changed through the proposed works, this will result in the collection of mineral which is needed for the Island's growth and development. If the mineral is not obtained from this site, it is unlikely that another site from which similar mineral could be obtained would have a lesser impact in terms of visual change, traffic, ecology, impact on local population or archaeology.
"New development will be located primarily within our existing towns and villages, or, where appropriate, in sustainable urban extensions of these towns and villages. Development will be permitted in the countryside only in the exceptional circumstances identified in paragraph 6.3".
The excavation of mineral can only be undertaken in areas where there are deposits of the required material and even if there were deposits closer to existing built up areas on the Island, the noise, traffic and visual impact is unlikely to be acceptable in such close proximity to people and their everyday activities.
"Proposals for development must: a) protect or enhance the fabric and setting of Ancient Monuments, Registered Buildings (1), Conservation Areas (2), buildings and structures within National heritage Areas and sites of archaeological interest; b) protect or enhance the landscape quality and nature conservation value or urban as well as rural areas but especially in respect to development adjacent to Areas of Special Scientific Interest and other designations; and c) not cause or lead to unacceptable environmental pollution or disturbance"
The proposal will not protect or enhance the landscape quality of this part of the Island. However, as is dealt with in later policies, there is an exception to be made in cases of national need providing that appropriate mitigation is undertaken and the impact is minimised
Development will not be permitted outside of those areas which are zoned for development on the appropriate Area Plan with the exception of:
a) essential housing for agricultural workers who have to live close to their place of work (Housing Policies 7, 8, 9 and 10) b) conversion of redundant rural buildings which are of architectural, historical, or social value and interest (Housing Policy 11) c) previously developed land which contains a significant amount of buildings where the continued use is redundant; where redevelopment would reduce the impact of the current situation on the landscape or the wider environmental and where the development proposed would result in improvements to the landscape or wider environment d) the replacement of existing rural dwellings (Housing Policies 12, 13 and 14) e) location-dependant development in connection with the working of minerals or the provision of necessary services; f) building and engineering operations which are essential for the conduct of agriculture or forestry g) development recognised to be of overriding national need in land use planning terms and for which there is no reasonable and acceptable alternative and h) buildings or works required for interpretation of the countryside, its wildlife or heritage".
It is suggested that the proposal represents location dependent development in connection with the working of minerals (paragraph e).
"The countryside and its ecology will be protected for its own sake. For the purposes of this policy, the countryside comprises all land which is outside the settlements defined in Appendix 3 at A.3.6 or which is not designated for future development on an Area Plan. Development which would adversely affect the countryside will not be permitted unless there is an over-riding national need in land use planning terms which outweighs the requirement to protect these areas and for which there is no reasonable and acceptable alternative".
The application sets out the need for the mineral, supported by the information from the Department of Trade and Industry and there is also discussion about alternative sources of the mineral which is to be worked. It is considered that there is no viable alternative which would result in less of an impact on the environment.
The present system of landscape classification of Areas of High Landscape of Coastal Value and Scenic Significance (AHLV's) as shown on the 1982 Development Plan and subsequent Local and Area Plans will be used as a basis for development control until such time as it is superseded by a landscape classification which will introduce difference categories of landscape and policies wand guidance for control therein. Within these areas the protection of the character of the landscape will be the most important consideration unless it can be shown that:
a) the development would not harm the character and quality of the landscape; or b) the location for the development is essential".
As set out above, the location for this development is dependent upon the mineral being present, which it is, and the impact on the quality and appearance of the landscape in any case is an increase of the existing impact of the quarry and longer term, the reduction in the impact of the existing quarry through the planting proposed.
"Development will not be permitted which would adversely affect:
a) species and habitats of international importance: i) protected species or international importance or their habitats; or ii) proposed or designated Ramsar or Emerald Sites or other internationally important sites.
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