Lib Dems launch "NO TO DING QUARRY" WEBSITE!

10.09.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 25th Oct 2007

Norman Smith, Paul Rowen MP and Councillors Barbara Todd and Greg Couzens on the site.

TO SIGN OUR PETITION, DOWNLOAD POSTERS, LEAFLETS OR FOR NEWS OF THE CAMPAIGN PLEASE CLICK ON OUR "NO TO DING QUARRY" BUTTON LEFT.

The campaign is back! - DP Williams Holdings Ltd. have put in an application to reopen Ding Quarry. Paul Rowen MP and his Lib Dem Colleagues have launched a petition against this. You can go to our special site and download posters, sign or download our petition and be kept up to date with the news from the campaign by clicking on any of this article. Here is a history of this campaign.

In August 1995 residents led by hundreds of local residents and hugely popular former Liberal Councillor Norman Smith and the then Leader of our Council - Paul Rowen (Now MP) fought to stop developers from reopening Ding Quarry. There were blockades, protests and a huge march, amid fears of the effect of heavy lorries constantly travelling to and from the site along Rooley Moor Road. More...

Residents feared a threat to road safety, traffic chaos, noise and there were concerns over the scenery and an ancient road at Lanehead being ruined. The pressure paid off in January 1996 when Rochdale Council's environment committee ruled that, in its opinion, the quarry had been dormant and the company, if it wanted to work there, would have to introduce stringent working conditions agreed by the council.

Now the fight is back on - An application has been lodged to reopen the quarry by DP Williams. "It's a case of Déjà Vu" says Local Councillor Barbara Todd, who is working with Paul Rowen MP and local Councillors Greg Couzens and Peter Clegg.

Paul Rowen MP, a veteran of the campaign over 10 years ago said, "We have fought before and we'll do so again. This would be a disaster for local people - It was wrong in 1995 and it is wrong today."

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