Minerals Under Your Feet

During the last couple of months Ray Anglesea from PAN has braved the snow and ice to work again with 7 schools in Weardale and North West Durham to deliver a project entitled “Minerals under Your Feet,” a project sponsored by Durham County Council, the Mineral Planning Authority. Children were introduced to the main types of rocks and minerals found in Weardale and in particular the North Pennines Area of Oustanding Natural Beauty (AONB). They children were informed of their regional and national importance, as well as the general environmental, transport and economic issues associated with mineral working and the need to protect the special character and landscape quality of the AONB and the amenities of those affected by present and possibly future working.
The children also considered and discussed a “live” mineral planning application which the County Council as mineral planning authority approved in 2008. The children, dressed in appropriate costumes - hard hats and bibs - acted in role play the various groups that were involved in the consultation process such as bat and butterfly groups, the Environment Agency, residents, Parish Council and the North-East Regional Assembly as well as acting out the part played by the applicant and a planning committee. Site notices were pinned up around the school and consultation letters were delivered to fellow class mates and teachers. A model of the small village and quarry showing the proposed extended area was also made by the children. After listening to all the relevant planning issues the children, as planning committee, came to a decision as to whether to approve or refuse the mineral planning application.
Ray Anglesea, County Durham Project officer for Planning Aid North said “I was delighted with the children’s local knowledge and debating skills and grasp of important environmental and economic issues that arose from the mineral planning application.”
As part of the project the children took part in an educational field visit to Harehope Quarry, Frosterley, a redundant limestone quarry found in the Dale which now supports a very successful environmental education centre. The children enjoyed leaning about the earth’s geological time-line, the carboniferous limestone rocks at Harehope as well as searching for limestone fossils. In answer the the question “Did you enjoying working on the project?” one child said “Sir, it was mint!”
The lessons, field trip and observations from the planning application were later presented to a school assembly where representatives of Durham County Council’s Mineral Team were available to present PAN certificates of achievement, to receive a PAN illustrated project report as well as distributing well earned prizes.
It is hoped that this project will be taken to other County Schools later in the year.

Author:

Kay Lough

Publisher:

The Royal Town Planning Institute

Date:

09-Mar-09

Categories:

Nations & Regions 

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