CONTEXT 180 : JUNE 2024 31 WHERE HERITAGE AND NATURE MEET The goal of this regulation is to harmonise differing national systems, increase consumer awareness and enhance the competitiveness of producers. So now natural stone producers such as Carrara marble from Italy, which has seen Chinese imports misusing its name, are protected. With this protection in the EU, the UK market has become an increasingly appealing target for companies outside Europe seeking to import cheap imitations. Closer to home, the town and country planning system is a third threat to the sustainable economic future of the natural stone sector in the UK. While building stone represents a fraction of the total mineral products market, its million-tonnes-a-year output is still significant. Yet for too long there has been a perception that this is a small-scale cottage industry that exists only to supply the heritage market – an ingrained impression that is stifling the development and competitiveness of British building stone. One of the reasons for this derives from the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the highlevel planning policy document for England. The NPPF says that building stone quarries are often ‘small-scale’ and implies that they only exist to supply material for repairs to local heritage assets. As ‘small-scale’ has not been clearly defined, many mineral planning authorities, when developing their mineral development plans and policies, are misinterpreting it in a way that frequently and inadvertently restricts growth and threatens the viability of the sector. Effectively, building stone is being treated differently from the rest of the mineral extraction industry. Consequently, over the years this ‘small-scale’ perception has been used to restrict proposals that have prevented building stone producers from growing their businesses to meet the healthy local and national demand. This has left the door open for stone to be imported from elsewhere in the world, resulting, as explained above, not only in a larger carbon footprint from transportation, but also the stone often coming from countries that have inadequate health and safety, welfare and environmental controls. These circumstances are extremely frustrating for stone producers, and they skew things for those seeking to use authentic, locally sourced building stone. These are the reasons why those in the heritage sector should not assume a supply of stone, and why the MPA is urging representatives from across the industry to support change. The UK building stone sector will not survive on supplying the heritage sector alone, and needs the new-build market to allow it an economically viable future. It is more important than ever to get this message to all stakeholders who have an interest in a secure supply of indigenous building stone – not only for heritage reasons, but also for new developments that have a role in maintaining a sense of place and relevant setting for historic stone-built buildings. Mark North is director of planning (aggregates, production and dimension stone) at the Mineral Products Association. Albion Stone’s Jordon Mine on the Isle of Portland
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjgyMjA=