ODDA LANE
QUARRY
Scheme to dismantle the boundary
wall. Condition 36
For
Hawksworth Estates
April 2012
Prepared by:
CROMWELL MINING CONSULTANTS
59 Oakenshaw Lane
Walton, Wakefield
WF2 6NJ
SCHEME TO DISMANTLE THE DRY STONE WALL BETWEEN THE EXISTING QUARRY
AND THE EXTENSION GRANTED PLANNING PERMISSION IN JULY 2009 AT ODDA LANE
QUARRY. APPLICANT: HAWKSWORTH ESTATES AND MYTHOLME STONE SALES
INTRODUCTION
Planning permission was granted on 28th July 2009, reference number P/06 02041/FU to
continue quarrying Rough Rock Sandstone from Odda Quarry and backfilling with quarry
restoration material situated off Odda Lane in Hawksworth village near Guiseley. Work is taking
place at the current time in the existing quarry until the planning conditions have been
discharged on the extension permission, but it is proposed to begin extracting some block stone
in the extension to the quarry from September 2012.
The quarry was reopened and has operated since 1993, and the operations have provided
stone for sawing into flags, mullions, cills and jambs since that time. The permitted part of the
existing site to the northwest has been backfilled with quarry restoration material and self
seeded with grass and gorse. The material in the northwest and west will be removed to provide
an area for the saw shed and storage facility. It is proposed to build a saw shed to deal with the
sawing of stone and producing walling stone under the General Permitted Development Order.
The stone will be sawn in an enclosed shed located to the west of the quarry below the surface
surrounding the site and there will be a yard which is covered with concrete and drained to
collect rainwater. The saw shed will provide a wider range of product. Vehicles carry material
along the site road in the quarry to the track that leads on to the access road to Odda Lane.
Vehicles also deliver raw block and products that require finishing to the saw shed at
Southowram.
The aggregate processing facilities were re located in 1998 to the base of the quarry and since
the quarry was reopened there has been aggregate processing as well as dimension stone
extraction. It is also planned to produce dry sand from a crushing and grinding process in an
enclosed shed, not too dissimilar to the sand operation at Blackhill Quarry.
The planning permission that was granted on 28th July 2009 for an extension to the quarry
requires a scheme for dismantling the dry stone wall and the storage of the stone for re use.
This wall has to be removed prior to entry into the site for the extension of the quarry as it is to
be stored for future use in repair or the restoration scheme of the site.
TOPOGRAPHY
The Quarry is located in a hill side formed from an outlier of Rough Rock that was known as
Odda Delph and Odda Hill. The Rough Rock falls away to the north and the south and the
quarry is wholly within the sandstone and gritstone which form the outlier.
To the north of the quarry in the fields are issues of water which are fed by percolated water
from the Rough Rock when rain fall occurs within the quarry and surrounding area that is
flowing along the contact with the impermeable mudstone. There are no springs on the south
side of Odda Hill.
The field is separated from the quarry by the dry stone wall and this wall is the only wall running
north to south. The other dry stone walls are to the north and south and form the boundary of
the planning permission area.
The surrounding area of Odda Lane Quarry is all at a lower level than the surface around the
quarry faces and the walls form a screen to the quarry once the surface has been lowered by 5
metres or so. On the north side is pasture land that falls away steeply to the pasture at Thorpe
Farm and on the south side is mature woodland. The surface of the quarry on the edge of the
working is 235 m aod and the quarry base is 220 m aod. The base of the Rough Rock is 211
metres aod and the quarry will be worked to this level. In the extension area the level rises to
the crown of the hill at a level of 240 metres aod.
THE SCHEME
This scheme is submitted to discharge planning condition number 36 of planning permission
number P/06/02041/FUL. Planning permission was granted on the 28th July 2009 but it was
decided by the applicant to wait until the existing quarry had been opened out adjacent to the
extension to assess the stone quality before a scheme could be submitted. The scheme
depends on the quality of the stone for sawing and sand production to assess the capital
expenditure required before moving into the extension area and there are other planning
conditions to discharge. An archaeological survey is being undertaken at the present time and
three other schemes have been prepared.
The wall will be dismantled and stored on the south side of the extension against the existing
wall in stacked stone walling. Each 4 yards (metres) will provide a stack 1.3 metres square and
1.3 metres high and the stacks will be marked 1 to n based on the areas the stone has been
taken from. Each 4 yards will be marked so that the stone can be rebuilt in the future and a plan
provided to the Council’s Mineral Planning Department how the stone has been dismantled and
stacked.
The stone will remain in stack until the quarry is being restored and then if deemed as part of
the restoration scheme the wall can be rebuilt in the base of the quarry. If not part of the
restoration scheme in the base of the quarry the stone will be used to provide a wall along the
side of the footpath if planning permission is not sought or granted to go beyond the footpath.
The current face is against the boundary wall and it is proposed to lift the stone wall after the
nesting bird season in September. The wall will be dismantled as the topsoil is lifted in the field
after completion of the archaeological excavations and will be placed in the areas to be agreed
on the south side of the quarry near to the boundary wall.
Current Operations
The current operations are wholly within the existing quarry and it is proposed to strip topsoil
and dismantle the wall at the same time so that the stone can be carried to the south side for
storage.
The topsoil will be stripped off one third of the extension area and stored on the boundary of the
permission alongside the footpath. Once the soil and the wall have been removed three metres
of skegs will be excavated and taken in to the base of the quarry to build a haul road up onto the
level to allow an area 50 metres wide to be stripped to bare stone.
Quarried stone is stored on pallets or placed on laths so it can be lifted and loaded onto the
wagons by the hydraulic excavator. Finished stone is stored near to the face and transported by
dumper to the loading area so that wagons do not have to enter the working area and pick up
mud on the tyres from the quarry roads.
Aggregate and rockery stone are processed by a crusher and screen located in the north east
corner of the existing quarry and this product range is loaded into tipper trucks and then they
are sheeted over to prevent dust. The load is also inspected to ensure that no stone pieces fall
off into the road.
The dry stone wall that has been dismantled and placed on the south side will be safe from the
quarrying operations.
Future Proposals.
The dry stone walls around the site will be inspected and repaired as necessary with the stored
stone as it is black and will blend in with the stone on the boundaries. Any new walls within the
quarry can be built from new walling stone as part of the restoration and marketing initiative.
SUMMARY
The stone wall will be marked and dismantled in sections to provide stacks of stone that will be
numbered so the wall can be rebuilt either at the lower level or on the surface in locations to be
agreed. If the stone is required for repair work then the conditions of the boundary walls will be
ascertained and repairs agreed with the Countryside Officer.
At the present time the dry stone walls to the north and south are in good condition and no
repairs are required. Trees are being planted on the north side of the site to screen the upper
level quarry workings in the future.
Signed
Eur Ing John Carlon B.Eng (Hons) C.Eng C.Env MIMM MRICS MIQ MCIWM
May 2012