Here’s what you had to say about Hope Works looking to extract an additional 13 million tonnes of limestone

Some say this is good news for the industry and business while others are not so keen.

Stephen Brown said: “After working at this wonderful company for 25 years it supports local people and has given the Hope Valley employment to so many families.

“I worked for Blue circle and it keeps the Valley alive.”

Adrian Brookes said: “Keep them well paid jobs in the Hope Valley.”

Robert Cooper agreed and said: “Good let’s keep jobs and community in the valley.”

John Coates said limestone is a ‘building block to many things’ and even wished Hope Works good luck.

Ike Wilson looked pragmatically at the plans and said: “Mining and quarrying was there long before the Peak Park.

“We're importing stuff from all over the work. Coal fruit flowers when we could easily grow our own and mine our own coal.”

Adam Gilmour seconded that and said this would be good to keep UK production running.

Stephen Charles hopes it gets passed to keep local people in local jobs and said: “It’s unreal how local employment has declined in our area.”

The major planning application which if granted would give the quarry an extension until 2042 has been submitted to the Peak District National Park which if approved would secure more than 230 jobs.

Peter Neville said: “The condition to allow this to go ahead should be the investigation of sending the carbon capture element to be sent to the carbon storage by rail.

“Hope Valley is on the rail mainline and sending it east to North Sea expired oil/gas wells storage must be preferable to carving up the Peak Park and sending it west to the coast thence up to Morecombe Bay storage. Wake up everyone there are alternatives to the Peak CO2 Cluster pipeline. The local elections are on the horizon so ask your candidate what they think of the pipeline and the alternatives.

“You have the power to stop this stupid Milliband charge to Net Zero.

“I accept it needs to be addressed but with moderation not lunatic schemes that destroy the countryside. The industry is needed to provide jobs, security and to prevent us importing materials which will inevitably drive costs up.”

However not everyone was in agreement

Marg Page said: “Cement production is at its lowest level since the 1960's according to construction news most is now imported. The import of coal to facilitate this is excessive.

“Other ways to manufacture cement by either electronic ovens or renewables should be sought before this is passed.”

Paul Graham Taylor said he always thought that the Peak District National Park Planning Authority was to to ‘not to grant extensions and that their position was that national needs could be met from outside the park’.

He continued: “My understanding is that position was put to Lafarge many years ago and that the operating life of Hope Cement Works was always going to be finite ie once the permitted reserves were exhausted that would be it and that no more would be granted.”