In 2005, Hanson was awarded planning consent by North
Yorkshire County Council to extend the earth mound that screens the
quarry workings from surrounding views. As a condition of planning
consent, Hanson were obliged to set up an Environment Fund to
mitigate the impact of the extension on the surrounding landscape,
which is part of the AONB.
The fund is worth £130 000 in total, with a sum of money
being allocated to the fund each year until the end of the
quarry's life in 2027. The Fund will be administered by Trustees
drawn from the Nidderdale AONB Joint Advisory Committee, North
Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council, and Hanson,
together with representatives of Thornthwaite, Thruscross and
Bewerley Parish Councils.
The objectives of the Fund are to:
- Maintain and enhance habitats, species and
landscape features
- Create new habitats and buffer areas
- Restore linkages between habitats
- Monitor existing, restored, newly created and
translocated habitats
Only projects in the area shown on the map shown in the Guidance
Notes about the Fund are eligible for grants although the Trustees
have the discretion to award grants to projects outside this
area.
The following documents are available to download:
- Guidance Notes
(PDF 395KB) - containing a map showing the
eligible area, information about the objectives of the fund,
eligibility criteria, grant rates, application timetable and
more.
- Woodland
Planting Guidance Note (PDF 93KB) -
provides advice about the design of new planting and the
selection of tree species for people who are applying for grants to
establish new woodland in the eligible area.
- Application Form
- Grant Claim Form