A land restoration project has begun at New Barn Farm Quarry, near Cholsey in Oxfordshire, operated by Grundon Sand & Gravel (GSG).
For the first time, the site is now able to accept inert waste materials, a move seen as a positive step forward in supporting long-term restoration of the 66-acre site.
Although the Environment Agency (EA) had already issued a permit, this was dependent on engineering works being completed to ensure the first phase was ready to accept waste. With this stage now finished, an engineering report was submitted to the EA to show that the works had been carried out to the required standards.
Andy Bright, GSG’s General Manager – Aggregates, said: “The EA’s acceptance of our report marks an important milestone in securing the next phase of the quarry’s development.
“It also gives our customers, predominantly local construction companies, muck away companies and grab lorries, a new option for the responsible disposal of suitable inert materials, whilst ensuring they meet all necessary environmental regulations.”
Opened in 2020, an estimated 500,000 tonnes of sand and gravel have been extracted at New Barn Farm Quarry and the site is expected to remain active until around 2038.
The aim is to restore the land to its original profile and condition and, as part of the restoration process, when each phase of extraction is completed, the space will now be filled with the inert materials – typically soil and stones from garden, park waste and construction sites. Once the land has been brought back to its original level, topsoil will then be laid ready for future planting.
The initial phase of the inert recovery operation is expected to require approximately 160,000 tonnes of inert material and, over the lifetime of the quarry, the overall permitted tonnage will be around 2.1 million tonnes.
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