The owner of a quarry where a teenager died on Saturday has urged people to stay away.
Jamie Lewin, 16, from Southport, died after getting into difficulty in the water at East Quarry, Appley Bridge on July 9. He was the third person to die in the water at the Lancashire quarry, following teenagers Miracle Godson in 2015 and Craig Croston in 2019.
Though there is fencing at the quarry and signs urging people to stay away, it continues to be a source of attraction during hot weather and visitors continued to try to access the water in the days after Jamie's death.
READ MORE: Safety at deadly quarry where teen died set to be addressed
Lancashire’s police and fire services have continually warned people to stay away, with the former occasionally setting up a mobile station outside the quarry, reports LancsLive. Officers from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service were at the scene on Monday afternoon and could be seen talking to youths next to a fence in the vicinity of the disused, water filled quarry.
A spokesperson for Lancashire Fire and Rescue told Lancs Live that fire crews had been speaking to youths who were by the quarry fence who had said they were not trying to access it. They said fire crews spoke to the group about water safety in case they did try to access the water.
After Jamie's death, the quarry’s owner Maybrook Investments issued a fresh plea for people to stay away and said it was planning to reduce the depth of the water to take away the risk. The company has previously received permission from the Environment Agency to drain 75% of the water and discharge it into the Calico Brook, which runs directly to the east of the quarry.
However, it was then refused a planning application by Lancashire County Council for a new road which would have allowed HGVs to access the site.
Under advice from a different consultant, it has pressed ahead with the ramp on a permitted development basis and now plans to ask for a certificate of lawfulness from the council to raise the level of the quarry from a low as 60ft in some places to no more than one metre. It is hoped that this would stop the water being an attraction for visitors as well as reducing the risk of drowning.
A spokesperson said: “The owners and staff at Maybrook are deeply saddened at the tragic death at East Quarry on 9th July 2022 and would like to pass their condolences to his family and friends.
“Our team have been maintaining the perimeter fencing and working with the emergency services to discourage young people from entering the site. Despite the tragedy of the weekend there are still groups of youths attempting to access the quarry. We appeal directly to them: please stay away and stay safe.
“As for the future of the quarry, the emergency access is very nearly complete and Maybrook have already prepared a Certificate of Lawfulness Application to drain, fill and re-water the quarry. Given the delays and objections rather than wait for the determination of a planning application for development of the site, which could take years, we decided in late 2021 that we would just remove the attraction and the danger it poses by reducing the depth of the water within the quarry to between 0.5 and 1m by raising the level of the Quarry floor.
“The external appearance quarry would be the same, but it would be safe. Upon issuing of the certificate Maybrook will be able to commence the drainage and works.
“In view of the clear and ongoing risk to life Maybrook plead with the council to issue the certificate immediately and without further delays or obstacles. We would be grateful if interested parties could provide us a letter supporting the application.”
The company is asking people to write to West Lancashire MP Rosie Cooper and Lancashire County Council‘s planning service to express their support. Ms Cooper issued her own call for action two days after the tragedy, saying: “I am saddened by the tragic news that a teenager has died in the East Quarry in Appley Bridge. My deepest sympathies are with his family and friends.
“Although the police, owners and local authorities have consistently done what they can to secure this Quarry to advise and prevent people from swimming in the lake, the size of the site has proved this difficult. Whenever we have a period of good weather, this has led to young people ignoring advice and warnings not to swim in the Quarry. The Quarry must now be drained as a matter of urgency, and I am calling on Lancashire County Council to give the final approval to any pending applications for the developers to begin draining the Quarry.”
In the long term, Maybrook hopes to completely fill the quarry and redevelop the space, as well as West Quarry, for a mixture of residential and community use. Proposals presented to Wrightington Parish Council in 2019 remain the ultimate ambition and would include a housing estate, car park for the nearby train station, a community centre and public greenspace.
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