Nine Ladies stone circle. Photo © Peak District National Park Authority

A national park authority has praised activists after one of the longest-running protest camps was cleared.

More than 50 tree houses, tents and mobile homes were removed, and tunnels filled in by occupants of the camp in the Peak District who had set up the site to prevent further quarrying near a Bronze Age stone circle. The authority said protestors had kept their word that the site would be restored.

The camp, at the former Lees Cross and Endcliffe quarries, near Stanton Moor stone circle, was established in 1999 as a ‘human shield’ against the resumption of quarrying in the area. The matter was resolved in January this year when the quarry company agreed to give up rights at the site in exchange for being allowed to extend stone extraction at a less sensitive site.

Permissions for the workings had been given in the 1950s and were not due to expire until 2042.

The Peak District National Park Authority had also opposed the resumption of quarrying at Stanton Moor, which is a scheduled ancient monument, but came close to taking legal action to eject the protestors.

A week ago, a site visit involving protesters, national park planning officers and rangers, the landowner, police and environmental health officers, confirmed that the campsite clearance was complete.

Councillor Hilda Gaddum, chair of the authority’s planning committee, said: “We are pleased that the protestors have packed up their camp and restored the site. They always said they would leave it in a satisfactory state once a resolution was reached, and they have kept their word.

“The planning committee did consider, on several occasions, whether formal enforcement action should be pursued to clear the camp.

“But such action would have been extremely difficult and lengthy, and following discussions with the police, landowners, the quarry company and local communities we deferred it on the understanding the protestors would leave once the reason for their presence was resolved.”

Much of the area around Stanton Moor is Countryside and Rights of Way Act Open Access Land, on which walkers have the right to roam.

See also
Peak protestors will leave following quarry decision confirmation