Paragraph 142 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) restates an established Government principle that minerals are essential to support sustainable economic growth and our quality of life. Included in the definition of “Minerals of local and national importance” in the NPPF (Annex2: Glossary) are “…local minerals of importance to heritage assets and local distinctiveness”, a description which certainly encompasses dimension stone.

So says a new guide to the UK dimension stone sector produced for mineral planning authorities by the Mineral Products Association (MPA).

The publication aims to tell planners the difference between dimension stone quarrying and aggregates quarrying in order to smooth the progress of planning permissions for the normally much smaller scale dimension stone operations.

It is a succinct publication – just eight pages. In it, the MPA (quoting the British Geological Survey Minerals Yearbook) says the UK stone producers consistently sell 1million tonnes of stone a year which it values at £350million. The whole minerals supply sector is valued at £21billion.

The MPA’s Dimension Stone Group consists of 17 top UK stone producers, including Albion, Portland Stone Firms, Hanson Bath & Portland, Black Mountain, Burlington, Tradstocks, Johnsons Wellfield and Marshalls. 

Michael Poultney of Albion Stone, a leading member of the MPA Dimension Stone Group, said: "Our sites are generally quite small and unobtrusive. We work with and alongside the communities where they are situated and in many places have been doing that for hundreds of years."

The dimension stone industry provides high quality, high value products that are increasingly finding favour with architects and are essential to the conservation of our historic buildings.

In addition, in terms of their economic and social significance, they punch well above their weight. Dimension stone operations provide employment and training opportunities in locations where few would otherwise exist and often they play an ongoing part in the social history of communities.

But operators feel these particular values are too easily overlooked by planning authorities and other regulators.

It is specifically to get these messages across that MPA has produced this publication. Dimension Stone – an Essential UK Industry outlines what dimension stone is, why the industry is so important and what issues planners need to take on board when they are making provision for a continuing supply of these vital building materials.

Ken Hobden, Director of Planning at MPA, commented: "Our hope is that by setting out the facts about dimension stone in this way we will save time and achieve greater consistency in decision-making. Up and down the country our members find they need to explain the same basic points to planners time and time again."

The report can be downloaded free from bit.ly/dimension-stone.