Lancashire quarry where three teens have drowned could be filled in

Plans have been mooted to fill in a quarry void where three teens have drowned.

Maybrook Investments Limited have made a request for a scoping option for East Quarry in Appley Bridge, also known as Dawber Delph. This is a fomal request to the local planning authority on the scope and level of detail the Environmental Statement should contain, before a full planning application is made.

The background

The quarry, which measures approximately 300 metres by 300 metres, was last worked in the early 1990's and is now flooded to a height of around 25m. The maximum depth of the quarry below the existing water level is believed to be around 26 metres.

The terrain around the quarry varies from access at water level to a section with dangerous cliffs. This is the section of the quarry where all three fatalities have occurred. Craig Croston, 17, drowned in 1999, Miracle Godson, 14 died in 2015, and Jamie Lewin, 16, a promising boxer from Southport, died on July 9, 2022, after getting into difficulty while swimming during a summer heatwave.

Over 1,000 meters of the perimeter of the quarry is fenced by palisade fencing or third-party property the remaining boundary was fenced with a one meter-high barbed wire stock fence since the quarry closed. The section was replaced with Heras fence to comply with HSE requirements.

At an inquest into Jamie’s death at Preston Coroner's Court on May 16, 2024, Senior Coroner, Dr James Adeley concluded: “In my view, it will not matter what fence you erect or what maintenance is undertaken, people will still access this site until a permanent solution is found. I understand and share the family’s frustration that a solution to these deaths seems as far away as ever. The solution to this problem rests almost entirely with the quarry owners, local politicians, and local planning departments. It is a matter for them to resolve this issue before another death occurs.”

This was echoed by water safety campaigner, Rebecca Ramsey from Chorley, whose son Dylan died aged 13 after going into cold water shock while swimming in Top Quarry in Whittle-le-Woods, in 2011.

Speaking at the time of Jamie’s death, she said she fears similar deaths unless action is taken to prevent youngsters getting into disused quarry sites. She said: “The quarry is a hot spot for unwanted swimmers. The owner of the quarry tries every year to minimize the risk by having campaigns, or raising awareness. They have been trying to drain the quarry for many years and sadly a small number of people object to this. As it will ruin their beautiful views."

Proposed development

According to a document submitted to West Lancashire Borough Council (WLBC), the proposed development will only be engineering works to infill the quarry. It says: “The land would be raised to a level which would remove the water from the void which would remove the risk to human life and health in accordance with the Coroner’s concluding comments. For the avoidance of doubt, the fill will be inert - explicitly non-waste soils and stone. The intention is to infill the void above water level.

“It is proposed that finished levels would seek to respect the overall prevailing topography in the valley which falls from the north to the south, whilst reflecting the site history as a quarry. A detailed plan will be provided, but in essence the fill will be to approximately 1m above current water levels to the southern part of the watered area at present, raising to approximately 5m above water level at the northernmost point adjacent to the cliff feature. A sump element will also be required to be maintained to allow future drainage/ pumping in the south eastern corner of the existing void.”

Future plans

The letter also states that there are future ambitions of redeveloping the site, hence the need for the fill to be inert. It states: “The land will be left as a hardcore plateau to facilitate future development.”

WLBC will respond to the scoping request in coming weeks.