Colour Plans, Green Belts, Green Towns, Greenways, Minerals, Public Open Space, Sustainability, Urban Design, Village Envelopes

MINERAL EXTRACTION

Position Statement

There is a continuing loss of fine landscape, by impacts during mineral working and by the quality of long-term restoration schemes; these issues are of greater significance in designated areas of high landscape value. It is vital that landscape architects are involved throughout the planning and design process so that the proposed landform and land after-uses are sympathetic to their surroundings. Good initial landscape planning and design minimises the need for mitigation measures which are often intrusive in themselves. The late Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe began this tradition of full involvement in the 1940’s at the cement works and quarries in the Hope Valley.

Explanation

Landscape planning for the minerals industry takes place in the following context.

• Minerals can only be worked where they are found.

• Minerals, particularly hard rock, are often found in areas of high landscape value

The following policies apply:

• Landscapes of international, national, regional and local importance must be defended

• the need to defend landscape quality must be balanced with the need to win and work minerals.

• the products of mineral extraction should be recycled wherever possible but recycling will not provide a short or medium term alternative to extraction.

• A landscape architect must be involved from day one of a mineral project, to influence the direction of working, final landform etc. It is often the case that a quarry requires a greater land-take for extraction so that a more sympathetic landform can be created.

At present, the plan-led Town and Country Planning system is forcing extraction into areas which, while they seem to be environmentally acceptable, are poor locations from visual impact and long-term restoration points of view. Local Authorities, and members of the public, pay great attention to short term visual impacts and planting. But the final landform is often of greater importance in the medium and long term. ‘Landscaping’, in the form of unsympathetic planting and mitigation proposals, is no substitute for a well-conceived Landscape Plan dealing with site selection, phasing, mitigation, after-care and after-use. This requires the involvement of landscape architects, scientists and managers.

Contact: David Jarvis