Representatives of Stone Federation Great Britain have taken the stone message to the Government at meetings with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) and the All Party Parliamentary Group for Earth Sciences.

In what Stone Federation director Jane Buxey described as a "useful exchange of views", Stone Federation met with Brian Marker from the ODPM at the beginning of December to discuss Annex 3 of Minerals Planning Statement One, the new planning policy that repplaces the former Mineral Planning Guidance Notes.

Annex 3 was developed from the Symonds Report, Planning for the Supply of Natural Building and Roofing Stone in England and Wales, and addresses the stone producers\' concerns that dimensional stone quarries are lumped together with aggregates quarries in planning terms. As production from dimensional stone quarries is a fraction of what is produced from aggregates quarries their impact is correspondingly less. Those who use and extract the stone have been fighting to have that fact recognised.

Iain Kennedy, who takes over as MD of Derbyshire-based stone specialists Realstone next year (see page 6 of this issue), was among those at the meeting with Brian Marker.

He told NSS: "When I first saw Annex 3 I was extremely surprised that it went so far. It does make it clearer what areas to seek to procede with."

He added: "Quarrying for building stone is part of our heritage - it\'s not an intrusion into the countryside. What we\'re building now is the heritage of the future. We\'re a small industry, but we have a lot to offer the future fabric of England."

Jane Buxey adds that Brian Marker gave them some useful advice on how to make planning work for members.

Earlier, Stone Federation had been represented at a meeting of the MPs in the Earth Sciences Group when Chris Wood, senior architecture conservator at English Heritage, spoke about the importance of British stone to the heritage sector and the difficulties involved in getting it. It is hoped the meeting will gain the industry more supporters in Parliament with a better understanding of the issues.

Next on the agenda for Stone Federation\'s lobbying of Government is to seek a meeting with the construction directorate of the Department for Trade & Industry.