Airfield Quarry planning application submitted

Hills Quarry Products and Farmcare Trading Ltd enter second phase of mineral collaboration

HILLS Quarry Products and Farmcare Trading Ltd have entered a second phase of their mineral collaboration with the submission of a planning application for a sand and gravel quarry at the old airfield near the villages of Marston Meysey and Down Ampney, in Gloucestershire.

The site, to be known as Airfield Quarry, will include an aggregate processing plant, a concrete plant and a bagging operation, together with the associated infrastructure of silt lagoons, offices, welfare facilities, wheel washes and weighbridges.

The area to be extracted, including the plant site and silt lagoons, covers 178ha and extraction will take place over approximately 13 years once initial site works are completed.

Phased restoration will significantly enhance the biodiversity interests of the land, maintain its farming heritage but additionally acknowledge its relatively recent use as an airfield and provide enhanced public access.

Peter Andrew, group director at Hills Quarry Products, said: ‘Hills have extensive experience in operating quarries in the Cotswold Water Park area and are proud to be working with Farmcare. We look forward to continuing our long-term collaboration on the estate.

‘These significant mineral reserves will provide an essential long-term supply of construction materials into the region's market.’

In 2016 Hills and Farmcare began working together in a collaboration that would provide access to significant mineral reserves in the Cotswold Water Park area. The first phase of this saw Hills open Latton North Quarry on the Gloucestershire / Wiltshire border. Airfield Quarry will be the two companies’ second project.

The planning application for Airfield Quarry is currently open for public consultation via the Gloucestershire County Council website – planning reference number 21/0032/CWMAJM.