March 31st, 2025
Defending Crest Fields: How four women took on a quarry expansion
Then a major developer, Breedon PLC, appealed against Denbighshire County Council’s decision to reject a quarry expansion onto Crest Fields, a group of four women—Mair Jones, Sue Hewitt, Susanne Clayton, and Yvonne Lloyd—stood up to protect their community. Concerned about the irreversible damage to local wildlife, green spaces, and the climate, they took action to fight the appeal. With support from the Environmental Law Foundation, they are challenging corporate interests and ensuring that environmental protection remains a priority. Their story is a testament to the power of grassroots activism and the strength of women in environmental justice.
Mair Jones
What inspired you to take action and become a leader in environmental advocacy within your community?
I wasn’t looking for a community campaign when I saw the ‘official’ Council notice on the gate entrance to ‘our’ Crest Fields and Woods back in September 2019.
They are not ‘our’ fields exactly, they belong to the Plas Heaton Estate, but we have had public access to them for centuries; the footpaths link Denbigh to its neighbouring village Henllan. During my caring years for my elderly parents, these fields became my place of respite and during the Covid lockdowns, their significance to our community became amplified.
The formal notice didn’t make much sense but slowly, gradually I got to understand that ‘our ‘cherished green spaces as a community was under threat! Having promised to stop their destructive mining operations by 2028, Breedon Group were now determined to destroy a crucial place of sanctuary and environmental significance and bring their harmful mining operations, to within 90 meters of our homes.
Surely, in the face of the climate crisis engulfing us, it shouldn’t be that hard to stop it, should it?
Now, 6 years later, I smile and reflect on that naivety.
It wasn’t that I was new to peace and justice action, I had been involved in campaigns for all of my adult life but encouraging a campaign in my own community with its complexities as well as its strengths and deep held cynicism about vested power interests, was and remains very hard. It wasn’t meant to be so, it certainly wasn’t planned and at times I have been overwhelmed by it but I have no regrets. I have gained so much more than the time given!
What has been your proudest achievement or most meaningful moment in your journey to protect the environment?
Alongside my fellow SOGIANS, (7 of us); being able to encourage 80 plus members of our community to join us on the Crest Fields to create a news item in August 2022. I was a bit late arriving at the fields as I had to meet the film crew and when I got there, I was gutted there weren’t that many there. Then, they started appearing at the brow of the field, one that will be lost if we loose, people from all parts of Denbigh and beyond, children and parents, banners and determination. Those images, of local people coming out to protect our fields, our environment will stay with me for ever! I cried.
What challenges have you faced as a woman leader in environmental advocacy, and how have you overcome them?
Interestingly, I’m not sure I have ever identified myself as a leader or as a woman leader. I know I have given this campaign my all when I have been able, bar 9 months of breast cancer treatment. The challenges are immense, and the most crucial challenge was finding the people who were able to stand up and step forward to do the campaign work, hours and hours of it. If this wasn’t led by a group of people at local level able to share the work, it just wouldn’t be viable. It would be just too much!
It feels so good now to stand alongside my fellow SOGIANS, 5 female 2 male and know that we are doing ALL we can to protect the Crest. The Crest has brought us together!
The next enormous challenge for all community environmental campaigners/advocates is to seek support from whoever out there is able to help! I certainly want to refer to Tanvi and Emma here at ELF as having their support in recent years has been fundamental to being taken seriously by the ‘powers’ that be! As I’m writing this, I am aware that most of the people that I have personally contacted for help with our campaign have been women.
What advice would you give to other women and girls who want to take action and become leaders in environmental justice?
I’m not sure if I am equipped to give any advice to other women or girls who want to take action, as their life contexts, especially the younger generations are so very different to mine. I am embarrassed and angry that my own generation seem in the main to not want to recognise the reality of the climate crisis and take action.
That can not be said for thousands of community groups all over Wales and the UK who are doing what they can both at local and national level. I am proud of my fellow Sogians who have demonstrated by their actions that local people CAN and SHOULD have a voice in local and environmental issues.
This is the only thing we can do I believe to inspire and support local young women and girls to take action in whatever way they think best.
Sue Hewitt
What inspired you to take action and become a leader in environmental advocacy within your community?
I am angry, very angry, that a big corporation whose focus is making profit for shareholders thinks that they can simply come along to our small rural town and remove a huge chunk of our land together with our favourite footpaths, blocking access to our special places such as the Crest Mawr woods. I opposed the previous quarry time extension planning application in 2018, working solo with no back up and now I’m pleased we’ve motivated the community and have a committed and talented group to work towards protecting our green spaces.
What has been your proudest achievement or most meaningful moment in your journey to protect the environment?
I’ve been proud of how we’ve motivated and empowered the community to get their voices heard by getting behind our quarry opposition with nearly 300 objections to the planning application and also over 60 submissions to the PEDW portal to support us in the Appeal.
What challenges have you faced as a woman leader in environmental advocacy, and how have you overcome them?
Its always challenging dealing with predominantly male professional adversaries in quarrying, planning and democratic representation. We have been talked down to, patronised and not taken seriously since as a group of primarily women we’ve got the impressions that planners, quarry staff and even our democratic representatives think we surely could not possibly have enough expertise to oppose the might of a commercial mining organisation or understand planning policy or processes. That attitude has no place in environmental protection so we have forged ahead asking hard questions, demonstrating our greater understanding of the issues and our greater committment to rescuing our town from the jaws of the quarry. We know we are right in our opposotion to the quarry and whatever the men think of us we are already making a difference.
How do you believe empowering women contributes to stronger, more resilient environmental movements?
For all our adversaries this is just their job, they can go home and forget about it at 5pm. Women are the community network, they are the web that holds everything together. They inspire each other and gather energy together. They cry and laugh together. They exhibit extraordinary resilience in the face of many disempowering factors. So bringing that strength to protect their environment is just another string to their bow.
What advice would you give to other women and girls who want to take action and become leaders in environmental justice?
- Work to do what you can in your own back yard. We are more connected to bring our energy to things closer to home
- Start small – even simply picking up litter is good for the environment.
- You have a right to speak your mind whatever those around you think or are saying.
- Work on something you feel emotionally connected to
- Don’t worry about where you will find the time and energy. The universe will help.
- Don’t think it’s someone else’s responsibility. We are all responsible for our planet.
- Know that you are Doing A Good Thing
- Just start/ you don’t need a grand strategy or plan initially, just do something that makes a difference.
- If you rant to go fast go alone – if you want to go far go together. (African proverb) Gather others around you – using your different talents you are stronger
Susanne Clayton
What inspired you to take action and become a leader in environmental advocacy within your community?
I don’t see myself as a leader but a team worker. That means that I want to contribute to our work, taking responsibility for the tasks I take on. I do this because I cannot stand by and do nothing when I see injustice. I have found myself in a leader role on occasion because there was a void to fill!
What has been your proudest achievement or most meaningful moment in your journey to protect the environment?
I think our current campaign will be the one, not taking winning and keeping the Crest Fields and woodland for granted but even if we lose, we will have learned a lot of new skills and knowledge in the process and have hugely bonded together as a frienship group.
What challenges have you faced as a woman leader in environmental advocacy, and how have you overcome them?
It is hard to work as a volunteer for your goals, put the hours in and leave your comfort zone when you are also responsible for family commitments, caring for someone and working. I’m lucky that I work only part time now and will soon retire to become a full time activist! A big challenge is to fight legal procedures and cope with having all things stacked against your cause. It’s when you realise that our legal system is not genuinely and practically set up to protect our planet for the survival of our children and grandchildren.
How do you believe empowering women contributes to stronger, more resilient environmental movements?
I think women do have different and additional skills due to their upbringing. I am passionate about men needing to catch up with this. I think women’s strengths are being understanding, tolerant and persevering and that really helps to achieve our goals. I think we are good at looking out for one another and making sure people don’t get burned out. We have each other’s backs. That’s reassuring for new people to join the movement. We usually see where someone needs supporting and we work hard to include everyone.
What advice would you give to other women and girls who want to take action and become leaders in environmental justice?
I would say join a local interest group whether that’s something arty, musical, charity. Meet people and start conversations. There are repair cafes and climate cafés now everywhere. Join in with something you enjoy doing. That will be energising and inspiring. Little steps that can lead to bigger actions. Extinction Rebellion is a great group who will train ypu and have roles for everyone who has a couple of hours spare. All are welcome. Their principles and values make them a safe and creative as well as a supportive group.