Hope Works Seeks Permission to Extract 13 Million Tonnes of Limestone

Breedon Cement Ltd has submitted a major planning application to the Peak District National Park Authority to extend limestone quarrying at Hope Works until 2042 — a move the company says would secure more than 230 jobs and protect 16% of the UK's cement supply.

The proposal involves a lateral extension of the Hope Limestone Quarry on Pindale Road, allowing the extraction of up to 13 million tonnes of limestone over the next 17 years. The quarry currently covers around 162 hectares, with active extraction taking place across 70 hectares.

Most of the limestone feeds directly into on-site cement production, with the remainder used for quarry restoration and road maintenance. Breedon claims the Hope Cement Works produced approximately 16% of the UK's cement supply in 2020, contributing significantly to a construction sector worth £142 billion in Gross Value Added to the UK economy in 2023.

Without the extension, Breedon warns that permitted reserves would be exhausted by mid-2030, potentially forcing the Cement Works to close. That worst-case scenario would mean the loss of 223 jobs and £25.5 million in GVA to the local economy.

The application acknowledges the quarry's visual impact but argues that Hope Cement Works has been "an accepted feature in the landscape of the Peak National Park for almost a century" and that the economic and industrial benefits dramatically outweigh any perceived harm.

The proposal is out for public consultation until Monday, March 30th. If approved, quarrying would extend operations by approximately 7.5 years to February 2042.