Quarry seeks lawful use approval from Calderdale Council
A Calderdale business is seeking permission to be able to continue working stone at a quarry site.
WS Crossley (York Stone) Ltd has applied to Calderdale Council seeking lawful existing use approval to use the land at Thumpas Quarry, at Norcliffe Lane, Southowram, for more than 10 years.
A supporting statement with the planning application says the application seeks approval for the land being used in connection with stone importation, stone sawing and working, stone exportation and storage of imported stone, worked stone, stone for selling and waste stone.
The statement says the stone working operation at Thumpas Quarry has been in place for many years.
In 2002 a previous time-limited permission expired and the work continued without benefit of a specific consent.
However, in 2015 a Lawful Development Certificate for the use of the land was issued.
Part of the site which is now being used did not benefit from the 10 years’ use of the land under the 2015 certificate, says the supporting statement.
But since 2015, the stone yard has continued to operate and the portion unapproved at that point “has now been in operation for a period in excess of ten years, making it immune from enforcement action,” it says.
The applicant submits Google images of the quarry from 2011 to 2025 with the application, which they say evidences a continuation of the use of the stone yard in connection with the established and lawful business.
The supporting statement argues a Lawful Existing Use certificate for operational use as part of the stone yard for the portion permitted under the 2015 time-limited certificate can therefore be issued.