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.
Panshanger Quarry
Panshanger Park and the River Mimram that flows through it are part of a Grade II* listed historic landscape. Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown was appointed to carry out the original landscaping in 1756, followed by Humphrey Repton into the early 19th century. During World War II much of the park was ploughed and planted for arable use.
Newark – South Clifton Cluster
The Newark – Clifton area of the Trent valley has significant potential for wetland habitat creation; 1200 ha of mineral reserves located within this area. This potential will only be met if all stakeholders develop a shared vision; Nature After Minerals / RSPB facilitated two workshops to scope interest in developing a vision for wetland habitat creation, and then develop a partnership.
Linner Loop
The Linner Loop is situated along the River Maas/Meuse in the Province of Limburg, Netherlands. This area initially began to be dredged in the 1920s by the Dutch Railway Company for railway ballast pebble, with the subsequent extraction of sand and gravel for the construction industry.
Grensmaas/ Border Meuse
The Border Meuse is a 42 km section of the River Meuse/Maas that flows along the border between Belgium and the Netherlands. During the 1980s, more and more social resistance was being felt against gravel extraction, with past extraction sites resulting in vast areas of open water, adding little value in spatial quality.