MOUNTSORREL QUARRY

WELCOME TO THE EXHIBITION

In May 2012, we held exhibitions at the quarry open days on the draft proposals, which over 5,000 people attended and 426 comments were received.

We used this feedback to update our plans and held four further open days in July 2013, to which over 80 people visited.

In January 2014, we then formally submitted the planning application to Leicestershire County Council.

Recently, we have become aware that some local residents have said that they would like to know more about our plans. Therefore, we set up this two-day exhibition to provide further information. Members of the site team are on hand if you would like to ask questions. In addition, comment forms are also available today and online at our Mountsorrel website (www.lafargetarmac.com/mountsorrel) for you to provide us with your views.

Welcome to our exhibition on proposals to extend Mountsorrel Quarry and relocate the primary crusher and stone pile.

Image of the Quarry looking West from Mountsorrel

MOUNTSORREL QUARRY

MOUNTSORREL QUARRY PAST AND PRESENT

Quarrying has been at the heart of the community in Charnwood for at least 250 years and has been carried out in one form or another since Roman times, with the first known site at Castle Hill.

Today, Mountsorrel supplies granite to construction projects across Leicestershire and the wider UK. The quarry is an important local business, contributing to the local economy and employing 149 people, 90 per cent of whom live within a 10 mile radius.

Annual production is currently just over four million tonnes, and the permitted end date for operations is 31 December 2033.

Much of the Mountsorrel site has been restored (approximately 87 hectares) into developing and established landscape including parts of Buddon Wood, Broad Hill, Rothley Common and Mountsorrel Quarry.

The image above shows the existing layout of the quarry including the location of the equipment.

Mountsorrel is a granite quarry operated by Lafarge Tarmac. The entire site extends over approximately 494 acres. The quarry itself covers 167 acres and currently reaches a depth of around 120 metres below sea level.

ABOUT LAFARGE TARMAC

Lafarge Tarmac is the UK’s leading sustainable building materials and construction solutions business. Our innovative products, solutions and services deliver the infrastructure needed to grow the UK economy today, whilst enabling a more sustainable built environment for the country’s long term future.

Plan showing existing layout of Mountsorrel Quarry

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MOUNTSORREL QUARRY

LAFARGE TARMAC IN THE COMMUNITY

It provides about 149 direct jobs, pays wages of approximately £4 million per year and spends a further £10 million per year on goods and services to support the activities on site, which in turn creates employment and wealth for those suppliers. Around 90 per cent of the workforce lives within 10 miles of the quarry.

Over the period to 2033, independent estimates suggest that the quarry will add an extra £126 million to the regional economy.

We also take an active role in supporting local charities, organisations and good causes and since 2007 more than £700,000 in grants have gone to help 33 community projects in the county.

Amongst the many local groups we support, we provided funds towards the Rothley Bowls club, Sileby Cricket club, Quorn Petanque club and Mountsorrel and Quorn Junior Football clubs.

COMMUNITY LIAISON GROUP

A Quarry Liaison group consisting of Lafarge Tarmac employees, officers and councillors from both Leicestershire County Council and Charnwood Borough Council, and local Parish Councillors from Mountsorrel, Quorn, Rothely and Barrow Upon Soar, has been functioning for over 30 years. This forum ensures that there is good communication between all parties. These meetings are held at least twice a year and are a good opportunity to discuss all aspects of the quarry and provide opportunities to discuss the present operations and future developments of the site.

Mountsorrel Quarry is a major local employer and important contributor to the regional and local economy.

Photo of public exhibition at 2012 open dayPhoto of new public footpaths being created

MOUNTSORREL QUARRY

SECURING THE FUTURE OF THE QUARRY

Demand for its materials is increasing as construction projects re-start, including the resurfacing of the A46, the widening of the A453 and the extension of the Nottingham tramway.

In March alone, we quarried 500,000 tonnes of granite, and production for 2014 is forecast to be over five million tonnes – a 20 per cent increase on 2013. We have hired an additional nine employees, with plans in place for taking on a number of apprentices

OUR PLANS

Although around 85 million tonnes of permitted granite reserves remain at the quarry, only about 22 million (four years’ worth) are readily available.

To continue to meet national and local demand for granite over the next two decades and to protect local jobs, we need to access these existing and additional stone reserves.

To do this, we submitted a planning application to Leicestershire County Council in January 2014 to relocate the main processing equipment. This will enable us to access existing and additional stone reserves, and would extend the site’s lifespan by seven years to December 2040.

2014 has been a very busy year, so far, for the quarry.

The plans would involve replacing the old primary crusher with modern equipment, located at a much lower level behind and below the quarry rim. The primary surge pile would be relocated here as well, but enclosed in a new building. All of these measures will further reduce the levels of noise and dust currently generated by quarry activities.

The plans here, and on the following boards, show how it would look.

Plan showing proposed layout of Mountsorrel Quarry

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MOUNTSORREL QUARRY

RELOCATION OF QUARRY EQUIPMENT

As you can see from the plan above, the new equipment will be located below the rim of the quarry – as opposed to its current location on the highest point of the quarry rim. This will significantly reduce noise and dust levels, as the walls of the quarry will act as a natural buffer.

We need to move this equipment so that we can access the additional granite reserves needed to preserve jobs, and ensure that Mountsorrel can continue to supply its essential stone to local and national construction projects.

One of the most significant elements of our proposal is to relocate the quarry processing equipment – the primary crusher, stone pile and conveyor – and rebuild a brand new plant at a lower level in the northern part of the quarry.

Plan showing relocated enclosed processing equipment including cross section of quarry rim

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MOUNTSORREL QUARRY

REDUCING DUST AND NOISE

A significant benefit is that the new crusher and stone pile will be enclosed, and the new linking conveyor belt will be covered. A large part of the dust and noise currently comes from these existing pieces of equipment as they are currently fully or partially open, as well as from the dump trucks which need to travel to the top of the quarry rim to reach them.

By enclosing the equipment, along with their planned relocation to below the rim of the quarry, it will help to significantly reduce noise and dust compared to the current levels produced.

In addition, vehicles will no longer need to use the top section of the roadway above the quarry rim. Dump trucks will deliver stone into the new crusher at a point approximately 60 meters lower down compared to present crusher location.

Our proposals will see the old primary processing equipment – built in the early 1970s – replaced with new, modern versions that are quieter and better designed.

Photo of existing primary processing equipmentPhoto of covered conveyor belt

Indicative images showing new processing equipment

MOUNTSORREL QUARRY

INITIAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS

This is necessary to enable the formation of the quarry faces and benches to form the new platform where the new processing equipment is to be located.

Different working practices will be employed during these stages, such as smaller rock blasting and restricted working hours, so that noise and dust from those temporary activities on the quarry rim can be properly controlled.

These initial development works, including the installation of the new equipment, are expected to take around 2 – 3 years to complete.

The sequence of these initial works are shown on the plans above.

The first stages of development would be the widening of the quarry rim in the north east corner of the site adjoining Wood Lane.

Plans showing how the proposed changes will be implemented

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PLAN 1 PLAN 2

PLAN 3 PLAN 4

MOUNTSORREL QUARRY

CHANGES TO THE QUARRY RIM

These changes ensure that more woodland is retained, which in turn provides more screening of the quarry along the Wood Lane boundary in Quorn.

Combined with the new location and design of the quarry equipment, these changes will help to further reduce noise and dust levels.

This retains an additional 0.7 HA (1.8 acres) of woodland compared to the submitted scheme. This has been achieved by redesigning the siting of the new equipment and simplifying the internal access roads within the quarry.

Following public consultation on the plans, we have refined the quarry design around the quarry rim closest to properties in Quorn, as shown here.

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Photo of vegetation establishment on upper benches

Plan showing changes to the quarry rim

MOUNTSORREL QUARRY

RELOCATING THE OFFICES AND WORKSHOP

These changes are necessary as part of the work needed to access the existing and additional granite reserves. The new office, workshop and store buildings will be of modern design, safer and more efficient and easier to access from the main quarry entrance at Granite Way.

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

Our proposals would reduce traffic in Quorn along Leicester Road and Wood Lane. By relocating the quarry offices, stores and workshops, it will enable the vast majority of site traffic currently using the Wood Lane entrance, to enter and exit along Granite Way.

The existing quarry office, workshops and car parking areas will be relocated as shown on the plan to the right.

Photo showing existing layout of quarry office, workshop and car parking areas

Plan showing proposed layout of quarry office, workshops and car parking areas

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MOUNTSORREL QUARRY

RESTORATION

Mountsorrel has been identified as a potential future storage facility for public water supply by Severn Trent Water. The perimeter landscape areas will be tree planted and will have a network of public access routes through them.

Some parts of the quarry, such as Broad Hill, have already been restored and managed. First quarried some 200 years ago, the hill has been recreated using material from the current quarry. Areas of grass heathland are being established and recently we were able to open up a new public footpath, which links in to other rights of way and provides a great new viewpoint overlooking the Soar Valley. Two new footpaths were also opened in 2013 to provide a link to Rothley Common.

The whole quarry area including Broad Hill and Buddon Wood comes under a comprehensive landscape management plan prepared by Lafarge Tarmac in 2007-8. Implementation and progress is reviewed annually by us, in conjunction with Leicestershire County Council, Natural England and the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.

Our proposals include an updated restoration scheme for the existing quarry, as well as a restoration scheme for the planned extension.

Photo of introduced path through Buddon Wood

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Plan showing potential restoration of Mountsorrel quarry

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MOUNTSORREL QUARRY

OVERBURDEN AND PUBLIC ACCESS

Approximately three million m³ of this material will be used to create new landforms around the edge of the quarry. The remainder will be placed within the quarry as working depths increase. The images to the right show where the new landforms will be created.

Public access around the site would be significantly improved, as we would create approximately 4.1km of new footpaths and bridleways.

One of the key requests made following our initial public consultation in 2012 was to consider bringing forward provision for new footpaths. We have taken on board this feedback and created a new route parallel to Wood Lane, through Rothley Common and onto the southern mound.

We have already made improvements to public access in the restored Broad Hill area of Mountsorrel, including a useful link to other footpaths from the village as well as a great new viewpoint overlooking the Soar valley from the ‘Albert’ stone sculpture. Additional footpath routes are being designed and discussed with Veolia for future establishment across Broad Hill.

Over five million m³ of clay and soils (also called overburden) will have to be moved to gain access to the underlying rock.

Plan showing proposed landforms

Plan showing proposed landforms and footpaths

MOUNTSORREL QUARRY

THE PLANNING PROCESS

1 REVIEW OF MINERAL PLANNING PERMISSIONS

The Environment Act 1995 requires periodic reviews to be carried out in respect of mineral permissions every 15 years. We completed the first review process of the quarry in March 2012. The review replaced the original planning permission granted in 1994.

2 PRE-SUBMISSION CONSULTATION MAY 2012

The six exhibitions held in 2012 marked the first stage of our public consultation for the proposed development of Mountsorrel Quarry. We listened to the comments and, where practicable, incorporated them into our quarry development scheme.

3 SCOPING REPORT JANUARY 2013

We produced a ‘scoping report’ for Leicestershire County Council. This contained a description of the proposed scheme, initial environmental surveys and assessments carried out to identify potential environmental effects as well as proposals for further work to accompany a future planning application.

4 SCOPING OPINION MARCH 2013

The Council issued a ‘scoping opinion’ following consultation with the community and other consultees such as Natural England, the Environment Agency and Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust. The scoping opinion defined all of the necessary work required to accompany our planning application.

5 SECOND PHASE OF PRE-SUBMISSION CONSULTATION JULY 2013

Using feedback from our initial public consultation in 2012, and following detailed environmental surveys and assessments, we carried out a second phase of consultation with the local community, involving four open days. Following these events, we made final adjustments to the scheme, finalised the environmental assessment work and prepared our planning application for submission to Leicestershire County Council in January 2014.

6 PLANNING APPLICATION SUBMISSION JANUARY 2014

We submitted a planning application at the beginning of the year to Leicestershire County Council. This took on board feedback received as well as other technical considerations.

7 PUBLIC INFORMATION DAYS MAY 2014

Following the submission of the application, some residents told us that felt they wanted to know more about our proposals. In response to this, we decided to hold a two-day exhibition so people could understand the plans and speak with members of the team.

8 SUBMISSION OF OUR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO LEICESTERSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

The Council will then carry out separate formal consultation.

9 DETERMINATION OF THE PLANNING APPLICATION

The Council is expected to determine the application later this year.