These Case Study pages showcase examples of good practice in minerals restoration which is benefiting the natural environment and people.
Whitesands Quarry
Whitesands Quarry is a 100ha site situated to the south-east of the town of Dunbar, East Lothian. Recognising the potential for the site to deliver for biodiversity and, in particular, wintering wildfowl and wader populations, Lafarge Tarmac and RSPB Scotland entered into an agreement to undertake an in-depth feasibility study, to explore different habitat creation options at the site.
Paxton Pits Nature Reserve
Gravel was extracted around Little Paxton between the 1940s and the early 1960s, resulting in a series of flooded pits. There were no plans to restore these for nature conservation, but later operators allowed natural regeneration to occur and by 1980 Paxton Pits had developed considerable wildlife interest, in particular for birds.
Manor Farm (Floodplain Forest Nature Reserve)
The Floodplain Forest Nature Reserve (formerly known as Manor Farm) is a 50 hectare wetland nature reserve beside the River Great Ouse at Old Wolverton, Milton Keynes.
Farnham Quarry
Farnham quarry is adjacent to Aldershot on the Surrey/Hampshire border, surrounded by major roads and housing. Hanson Aggregates inherited the 50 ha site from Pioneer who began extracting sand and gravel here in the late 1990s. Extraction ceased in 2010, allowing Hanson to commence the final phases of restoration.
Fagl Lane Quarry
Fagl Lane is a restored sand and gravel site, now managed by a Community Interest Company, who are looking to recreate an ancient managed landscape on the site, featuring farmland, woodland, wetlands, an operational Iron Age farm and Roman Fort, all for educational, research and leisure purposes.
Brackagh Quarry
Brackagh Quarry is a large sand and gravel pit near the town of Draperstown, north of Cookstown. RESTORE worked with Creagh Concrete throughout the project, advising on the creation of priority wetland habitats. The operator also used the site to showcase the potential of best practice restoration to the wider industry and key decision-makers.
Bayston Hill Quarry
Located on the geographical feature ‘Sharpstone Ridge’, Bayston Hill quarry is situated on the southern outskirts of Shrewsbury. The site produces approximately 800,000 tonnes of a high specification aggregate each year, which is predominately used in road construction – including for Abu Dhabi’s new Formula 1 track. The quarry provides the largest reserve of gritstone in England.