Further to AI's had second thoughts about processing Hillhead material at Blackhill, mobile plant has now been installed in Hillhead Quarry, and is processing material from next door Houndaller. Aggregate Industries has 4.23 million tonnes of sand and gravel available at Houndaller - with planning permission - enough to last the company 12 years or more.
Hillhead Quarry is where AI wants to process any material it wins from Straitgate Farm. It's 23 miles from Straitgate, and currently without the sort of fixed, capital-intensive plant used at Blackhill that AI had previously said would be required for Straitgate material:
The substitution of the Blackhill plant with a mobile processing plant would severely restrict the output and product range to serve market demand. 8.30
For those unfamiliar with Hillhead, here's where AI's mobile plant is sited in relation to Houndaller.
And here's what's left to quarry, shown on one of the plans from AI's recent Hillhead ROMP application.
Meanwhile, huge stockpiles remain at Blackhill Quarry on Woodbury Common, but processing has now ceased. The processing plant and sales operations will be removed from the site within 12 months, in accordance with the Blackhill Restoration and Aftercare Scheme Revision F 2013:
4.14 Area 12
4.14.1 Restoration will commence in accordance with the requirements of planning permission ref: 10/0473/CM at the end of 2016 and be completed by the end of 2017...
4.14.3 The existing quarry processing plant, associated infrastructure, weighbridge, weighbridge office will be removed from the site.
