This week, the Peak Park authorities ordered quarrying at Backdale Quarry to cease.
It is just the latest stage in the long-running fight to stop quarry companies mining at Longstone Edge.
Anti-quarry campaigners have said they believe the three-mile long quarry is "raping" the unspoilt scenery of the national park, and will prob
ably see this new stop notice as another step in the right direction.
Others argue that heavy industry like quarrying is just what we need to provide much-needed jobs that are the lifeblood of our community.
They rightly point out that the Peak District owes a great deal to its rich mining heritage.
The row highlights the difficult balance we must find between the need to encourage industry to bring jobs to our area, and the need to protect the stunning landscape we are so lucky to have.
Regardless of the disagreements over the exact volume of minerals being extracted from Backdale, and what the primary purpose of the quarry is, maybe it is time to accept that the immediate future for the Peak District lies with tourism.
Huge scars on the landscape like Backdale, which can be seen from Chatsworth House, do nothing to encourage visitors and investors to our area.
Nor do they improve the quality of the environment for permanent residents here.
Campaigners have said that each tonne of limestone blasted from the hillside can be sold on for as little as £7.50 a tonne.
This may not sound like a lot. And it isn't. Horse manure costs roughly £10 a tonne!
As a community, what price are we prepared to put on preserving the beauty of the national park for future generations?
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