Major update on controversial rejected plans to turn a Derbyshire quarry into a waterpark resort

Long-held and controversial plans to turn a Derbyshire quarry into a waterpark resort are now temporarily being shelved while a return to quarrying is pursued.

The scheme, from BMET Limited, to convert Crich Quarry into the Amber Rock Resort, complete with a water park, 152-room hotel, 128 straw-bale lodges and 210 apartments, was rejected by Derbyshire County Council in September after five years of to and fro.

After the meeting, the developer had committed to promptly submitting a “vigorous” appeal against the decision but has subsequently chosen not to do so and now the deadline has passed.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Ian Clarke, on behalf of the developer, said: “We sought advice and it was not as positive as we expected.

“Initially we are looking to go back to quarrying. DCC are supportive of liaising with us to move things forward and so we are looking to do that.

“(The resort) is definitely not off the table but clearly from the refusal they will need redesigning. It is all a big mess.

“We can live in hope but really the current agenda is to reopen the quarry and we will be working with DCC to assess what needs to be done.

“I have no doubt that this will cause a sensation and will galvanise ROAR (campaign group Residents Opposed to Amber Rock) but we are not walking away from it (the resort plans) – that is for sure.”

Tony Mills, on behalf of ROAR, which had gathered more than 700 objection letters against the planned resort, said: “The community remains delighted that the decision of DCC has been effectively agreed and not appealed by the applicant.

“We accept that they have other plans. They are the owners.

“Had they spent any time consulting with the community instead of being confrontational they might have come up with something that meets everyone’s expectations.

“It has been difficult to have won this battle and to have this hanging over us.

“If they want to do anything useful they can repair the damaged fences around the edge of the quarry.

“If they want someone to fall to their death into the quarry they are going the right way about it.”

The rejected resort had included a cliff-top restaurant, spa, sports complex, zipline, medical centre and climbing centre – along with more than 600 underground parking spaces.

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Councillors rejected the scheme unanimously due to “unacceptable adverse impact on heritage assets, landscape, ecology and local amenity” along with the highway network and the lack of sufficient information in all categories to be able to support any form of approval.

Mr Clarke had said in the September planning meeting there were one million tonnes of materials which could be mined up until 2042 and that this would be the fallback position if the water park resort was not approved.

The resort plan would not involve any further materials leaving the site, he had said.

He had said there was already “interest from leading operators” for the water park resort and that it would create 560 jobs and boost local tourism.

Opposition said the roads through Crich would not cope with the additional traffic.

UNESCO has “grave concerns” over the Derwent Valley Mills after continued “inappropriate” developments and had singled out the Crich development as one that should not be approved in its current form or risk further negative impact on the area’s world heritage status.