It’s a question we get asked a lot. In the scheme of things, the resource does seem pathetically small in comparison with the amount of money the company appears willing to throw at it. The saleable sand and gravel resource claimed to be at Straitgate Farm is little over a million tonnes. Each as-dug tonne would necessitate the additional cost of being hauled 23 miles away for processing.
Over the years that Aggregate Industries has been messing about with Straitgate, Breedon - a competitor run by ex-AI people - has instead been buying up mineral reserves and resources. Some of the numbers give a clue as to what Straitgate Farm might be worth, at least in terms of its minerals.
2017 Acquisition of assets from Tarmac Holdings Limited... for a total consideration of £16.5 million... adding approximately 25 million tonnes to the Group's mineral reserves.
2017 Acquisition of Humberside Aggregates Limited... for a total consideration of £9.0 million... It has approximately 3.1 million tonnes of mineral reserves, with the potential to secure additional reserves in the future.
2016 Acquisition of the Sherburn Minerals Group... for a total consideration of up to £15.7 million... It has in excess of 21 million tonnes of mineral reserves and resources.
2014 Acquisition of Barr Quarries Ltd... for £20.8 million in cash... It has approximately 57 million tonnes of mineral reserves and resources.
2014 Acquisition of Huntsman's Quarries... for a cash consideration of £15 million... Naunton has planned mineral reserves of 4 million tonnes and potential further resources of 6 million tonnes.
2013 Acquisition of assets from Marshalls PLC... The final consideration will be up to £19.0 million... The Quarries will provide an additional 13 million tonnes of mineral reserves and resources to the Group and the potential for additional mineral prospects of 5 million tonnes.
