Potential Quarry Extension Could Treble Nature Reserve At Eversley
Leading building materials provider CEMEX UK has submitted plans for extending the existing Eversley Quarry at Fox Lane, Eversley, in Hampshire to ensure the continued supply of sand and gravel for local construction projects.
Once workings have been completed, the site would be restored to nature conservation, effectively trebling the existing Moor Green Lakes Nature Reserve and providing additional wet woodland, lakes and pasture.
CEMEX has submitted a planning application to Wokingham Borough Council to help meet the growing demand for building materials in the South East.
As part of the application, the company is seeking to extract 650,000 tonnes of sand and gravel over 4 - 5 years from an area west of Longwater Road, Finchampstead. Every year, each of us uses the equivalent of 4.8 tonnes of aggregates which goes into houses, roads, hospitals and such everyday items as toothpaste and crockery.
To minimise traffic and noise, the sand and gravel would be transported from the extraction area to the processing plant within the quarry, by a proposed conveyor to be laid under Longwater Road. All heavy goods vehicles would continue to use the existing road access to the quarry off Fox Lane.
The proposed restoration scheme involves the protection of many of the existing trees. Many of them are mature, oak trees with some ash and willow, which mark the lines of former hedgerows. In addition to preserving the established trees, 15,000 new trees would be planted with a mix of wet and dry woodland, flood meadow grassland, reedbeds and open water to encourage biodiversity.
Additional public access would be created through the new pastoral and wetland landscapes. The progressively restored quarry at Eversley, where excavation in the area dates back to the 1970s, has provided materials for local construction projects such as the Madejski Stadium in Reading and the award winning Elvetham Heath housing development.
The former restored workings incorporate a nature reserve, nine hole golf course, playing fields and water sports facilities. Currently, under development are new sports facilities for the Eversley Sports Association and an innovative match fishery.
This development illustrates how commercial operations can go hand in hand with sustainability, leisure activity and community involvement.
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Notes to Editors: Eversley Quarry has been worked by RMC (now CEMEX) since 1984 with operations extending north and south of the River Blackwater. Land previously worked has been restored to agriculture, nature conservation and recreational uses covering over 200 hectares. The current output of the quarry is approximately 150,000 tonnes per annum. The restoration work at Eversley has received to date two awards from the Quarry Products Association and one from the European Aggregates Association.
CEMEX is a global building materials company and leading supplier of cement, ready-mixed concrete and aggregates. In the UK, CEMEX also produces asphalt, and has a significant share of the roof tile, rail sleepers, concrete-block paving, and concrete-block segments. CEMEX has a national supply network in the UK with over 500 locations, to ensure that quality building materials are available to customers locally.
For more information, see www.cemex.co.uk or www.cemex.com.