RICHARD Denton-White's call to arms (Only direct action will stop quarrying', Echo, May 12) to stop quarrying on the coastal strip at Portland is an understandable reaction to the concerns of many who love the Island but cannot go unanswered.

Both Margaret Leicester and the Southwell Action Group are raising the profile of this issue and there were similar calls for lawful action from the CPRE.

The Portland Partnership meeting also heard that the National Trust are also concerned and may be interested in buying land on the Island.

The reality of the situation is that the coastal strip is the last remaining major area covered by the planning consents granted in 1951 by the then Ministry of Housing and Local Government; not by Dorset County Council.

Much of the top of the Island was covered by the same permission, giving the industry almost carte blanche to do as they liked.

Times were very different then with post-war reconstruction being the priority, and the decision was welcomed at the time by locals for the employment it guaranteed in difficult times.

Half a century later the picture is very different. The coastal strip is covered by many important designations - a Special Area of Conservation, the World Heritage Site and Ancient Monuments - but sadly these do little to prevent a pre-existing permission from being implemented.

Few would welcome quarrying in this attractive and unspoilt landscape beyond Southwell, and I cannot imagine that it would ever get consent for open quarrying in this day and age.

We mustn't forget the importance of this unique and nationally significant building stone, but there are other and better ways in which it can be won.

To their credit the other major company on Portland, Albion Stone Quarries Limited, has bitten the bullet and invested in mining equipment. This is a much less intrusive and damaging way to win the important stone beds.

A rallying call for direct action to stop this legitimate activity is not the right way to proceed.

Here at the county council we still hope for a change of heart on the part of the quarry owners, but we are in no position to prevent quarrying without revoking consent and paying compensation that would have to be added to the burden carried by council tax payers.

Perhaps a strong indication of the depth of concern and feeling that Islanders have, and which I personally share, to protect this last unspoiled area will do some good. We must wait and see.

Andrew Price, Head of Planning, Dorset County Council.