Public invited to suggest uses for Threshfield quarry site (From Craven Herald)

Public invited to suggest uses for Threshfield quarry site

10:00am Wednesday 31st October 2012 in News

A trust looking to develop a defunct quarry would welcome ideas from the public, the chairman of the charity has said.

The Threshfield Quarry Development Trust has taken over legal possession of the quarry from owners Tarmac and visitors can now enjoy a network of footpaths and woodland created by the company over the past two years.

The trust now has the responsibility of enhancing the rest of the site for the benefit of the wider community.

Roger Martlew, chairman of the trust, said one of the first tasks was to appoint a development officer who could drive the project forward.

“That person will set out a masterplan with a view to creating an artistic heritage trail linked to the footpaths,” he said.

“It will explore the unique heritage of the site. It includes unique limekilns which people won’t see anywhere else.

“The emphasis will be to develop the educational potential, the cultural heritage, arts and natural environment.

“We are not proposing to install any large-scale industrial elements.

“However, there had been some tentative inquiries about using the site for local business which would be considered but they would have to be in sympathy with the setting and not impinge on the environment.”

There was an ambition to set up a landscape heritage centre but the trust was aware that at present the economic climate was not at its best.

Over the past two years Tarmac has undertaken safety improvements to the quarry face, developed woodland and created a new public footpath network.