Earlier this summer an illegal roadstone quarry at Back Dale Quarry, on Longstone Edge Nr Bakewell was targeted by saboteurs.
The quarry owned by Bleaklow Industries, was being mined by Merrimans (Merrimans, Gleabe, and Stancliffe — 9 Ladies — are the main companies ripping up the Peak Park).
The Quarry was granted permission for mineral extraction (Flurspar) in the 1950’s. Due to protest about the quarry which eats into Longstone Edge and the Combe Dale SSSI,(Sites of Special Scientific Interest) including mention in Parliment, quarrying by RMC stopped. Merrimans took over and to maximise their profits started to illegally extract roadstone.
The pressures on our National Parks will increase as the new road building program gets underway. At the start of this year the Peak Park Authority took out an injunction to stop Merrimans from extracting roadstone at Back Dale, as the quarry is eating into the Edge and the woods there at a rapid pace. Merrimans have refused to stop extracting the stone, even stepping up their extraction.
Due to these facts persons unknown took it upon themselves to take direct action againts machinery used there and 2 excavators and 2 crushing and sorting conveyers had their engines destroyed, 2 crushing and sorting converyers and a drilling rig had their engines sabotaged, 2 lorries and a bulldozer had locks glued, and a dust lorry was sabotaged.