Cambridgeshire County Council refused an application by Aggregate Industries to extend a sand and gravel quarry because the restoration scheme failed to deliver ecological objectives:
In addition, insufficient information had been provided on the significance of archaeological interest at the site, the council decided. The site comprised 62 hectares of best and most versatile agricultural land and it lay in open countryside. Mineral extraction had taken place in the area since 2001... The site was allocated for mineral extraction and inert waste landfill in the core strategy and would contribute towards a seven-year aggregate landbank and to landfill capacity... policy stated that mineral working must take place in accordance with a masterplan to ensure the enhancement of the Ouse Washes, one of the few remaining fragments of wetland habitats within the Fens... The proposed restoration scheme would provide just 5.3ha of wet grassland within the application site and would make the objectives of the masterplan undeliverable. Therefore, the council concluded that the application should be refused as it was not in accordance with the development plan.
More information can be found here. It all rather goes against this:
We encourage our sites to consider how they can support #biodiversity, whether it's planting a whole new woodland or creating a bird box 🐦 pic.twitter.com/ctifr5E325— Aggregate Industries (@AggregateUK) October 25, 2017
