Breadcrumbs
An unsustainable resource - 5 August 2000
Richard Lloyd, chairman of the UK Limestone Pavement
Biodiversity Action Group and head of the farming and forestry
branch of the Countryside Agency, said: "The British Isles are home
to the world's most important areas of limestone pavement, yet we
are in danger of losing it to a fad in garden design. The
Countryside Agency and the Heritage Council of Ireland have jointly
funded this report to give us the facts and figures on trade in
water-worn limestone which we need in our fight to protect this
unique natural asset.
"We would like to see further protection of water-worn limestone in
the UK and Ireland, and people thinking twice about using
water-worn limestone for rockeries when alternatives such as deep
quarried limestone, granite or artificial stone are readily
available."
The report estimates that around 9,000 tonnes of water-worn
limestone a year are being imported from Ireland and a further
2,500 tonnes are being sourced from within the UK. It is not
possible to tell the difference between stone from legal sources
and stone extracted illegally from protected sites.
The most important areas of limestone pavement are protected under
the European Habitats and Species Directive and in England also by
Limestone Pavement Orders made under the Wildlife and Countryside
Act 1981.
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Recommendations from the report On Stony Ground include:
ensuring statutory protection for all important areas of limestone
pavement;
consider introducing restrictions on trade;
run an awareness raising campaign to influence consumers'
purchasing decisions;
actively promote alternatives such as artificial stone, granite or
deep quarried limestone.
A summary of the report can be seen at www.limestone-pavements.org.uk
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Notes to Editors
For more information please contact Nigel Ellway, Isobel Coy or
Julia Cropley on 020 7340 2906/2907/2909
The Countryside agency is responsible for advising government and
taking action on issues relating to the social, economic and
environmental well being of the English countryside
